Always
by Un-Ended Tales
Summary: Merlin protects Arthur. So who protects Merlin? Who are the others who are making sacrifices for the once and future King? A friends betrayal does not mean the end of a friendship. My first fanfic so please review. Rated T for violence. Final chapter up!
1. Always

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, BBC does. I only own my original characters: Eris, Gaia, Cles, and Ora.**

Always

Eris stood near a tree at the edge of the camp they had set up, somewhere in the forest, just hours before. She watched with amusement as her companions, half drunk, sang songs from their youth around the roaring fire set up in the middle of the camp. Two of the children that had accompanied them danced around the fire. The girl played a lovely flute, which acted as her voice as she was mute. The boy played a lyre. They made beautiful music. The two of them were twins, if Eris remembered correctly, the boys name was Cles and the girl's was Ora. They were too young to drink but still they giggled and danced as if there were not a care in the world. Their playful nature brought smiles and laughter to faces that had once worn the emotion of worry.

The sun had disappeared from the sky long ago, but no one was asleep. Those who were not drunk were still on edge from the past days events. Everyone was tired, from the running they had done, but they didn't show it. They were all wide-awake just waiting for someone to attack them. As if any moment they would hear the cries of the enemy as their knights ran out of the darkness that surrounded them, ready to perform another ambush.

Eris was not as paranoid as some of the others, but she still felt every second that she was being watched. In this new environment she was sure that that was true. Though the ones watching them may not be enemies just curious forest creatures, it was still unnerving. Everyone would probably be beside themselves with worry if the old Captain hadn't brought out his secret stash of ale. Eris had no idea where he could have stashed it as they had agreed to pack light because they new that at a moments notice they might have to be running blindly threw the forest for their lives.

In the silence of the night she felt a soft hand rap itself firmly around her left wrist. Surprised she spun around, her eyes meeting with those of a girl not much younger then herself, perhaps in her early twenties. The girl's eyes were dark, ocean green and showed twinges of sadness that came from a lifetime of having to bear the emotion. In the dark it took a few moments but Eris finally placed where she had seen the sadness that occupied the girl's expression. She had seen it so many times. When this fact clicked into place everything else did as well. The dim firelight shone over the girl's face revealing more detail. The single streak of green in her short, dark brown hair reflected the light. Now she could make out the scar that ran from bellow the young girl's right eye in a straight line to where her face ended. It was a scar Eris knew so well that she could have traced it in her sleep, for she was the one who had put it there.

Eris took on the wicked smile she was known for and pushing a few wavy strands of her long black hair that hadn't made it into her ponytail out of her face, so the girl could see her piercing purple eyes. Eris finally broke the silence. "Never thought I would see you here, Gaia." The mischievous look Gaia was famous for took shape on her seemingly frail face.

"What are you doing here Gaia?" Eris asked. The girl still hadn't released her grip on Eris' wrist.

"What I am always doing." Gaia smirked. "Watching you Eris."

"I thought I was being watched." But Eris' grin turned quickly to a defeated looking smile. "Are you going to turn us over?" She looked at the ground waiting for their fates to be decided and she was surprised when Gaia put her hand under her chin and raised it slightly so they were staring into each other's eyes. Her expression was calm and kind when she answered. "No." Surprise and relief filled Eris.

"Why?" She asked. "I thought you were…"

"I still don't agree with your methods Eris, even if I do understand and believe in your reasons."

"First you betray, me then you help me. Whose side are you on anyway?"

"I don't know and I didn't betray you." Gaia snapped.

"Could have fooled me." Eris snorted.

"It was not my intention to betray you. You must understand my side of this."

Eris lowered her gaze, she did understand. Long ago when she was very young Gaia watched as a whole village of their people was slaughtered just for disagreeing with the king's law against magic. Gaia had hidden beneath an overturned cart of hay and watched in horror as family and friends were chased through the streets, cornered and killed. She saw no mercy in the eyes of their attackers. After that they burned the village. The hay in the cart she was hiding under caught fire and she was lucky to have escaped with only minor burns. The burns left no mark but after what happened Gaia was scarred for life. After that it had taken her a long time to even look at a blade let alone use it. She did not believe that violence was the best course of action in achieving peace between their people and the rest of the kingdom. That is where they disagreed.

"Eris killing the king will not bring our friend's back, and it will not make anything any better." Gaia continued the argument they had had countless times before.

Eris sighed. "He is the reason we are persecuted and living on the run." She argued.

"If you want to change his mind about us, acting like this will only make him see the worst in us. If we just lie low…" Gaia continued but Eris cut her off.

"What and watch him kill innocent people who have never done anything wrong."

"That is not what I was saying." Gaia's voice began to rise in anger. "Things can not change over night. If we want things to be different we must work for however long it takes and if that means working in the shadows then so be it." She had now released Eris' wrist.

Eris knew she had a point but she had come too far to change tactics now. "You know he will never change his mind, we have seen that. He believes that us even being born is a crime. If we don't fight back now he will wipe our kind from existence."

"I know that, but you are making everything worse. His mind has already hardened against us because we keep trying to overthrow him. You are only making his fears reality not showing him otherwise."

"But wouldn't it be better if there was no king at all." Eris contemplated.

"If there were no king then the kingdom would erupt into chaos. I have hope for a new king that will accept us and if you kill his father he too will turn against us."

"You are talking about the prince. He is the one hunting us down as we speak. He has already shown proof of what kind of king he will be." Eris spat.

"He is only following his father's orders, he is still undecided. We might still be able to convince him." Gaia explained.

"But that will take time, and even if you do sway him his father is still king and it will be a long time before he dies naturally and that is time we do not have. Who knows by then we could all be face down in a ditch somewhere. I will not lose this war Gaia!"

"I understand." Gaia relented, softening her gaze. "It is your nature to follow this path. It always has and always will be. There is nothing I can do to change that."

Eris lowered her eyes. "There was once a time when you would have followed me to the ends of the earth, but that has all changed hasn't it?"

Gaia began to stroke the scar on her face. "Yes… yes it has."

"I thought that it would be you and me against the world." A single tear ran down Eris' face but she quickly wiped it away.

"Its still you and me. We will always be fighting for that same cause. We just aren't on the same side anymore." Gaia stopped stroking her scar and took Eris' hand once more.

"So you are against me." Eris said, slightly squeezing Gaia's hand to make sure it was really there.

"I am neither with you nor against you. My intentions are honest, we want the same things but we have different methods."

"I understand, you were always the patient strategist."

"And you always believed a strong offence makes for a strong defense." The two laughed for a moment. They made an odd pair so different and yet exactly the same.

"In the end we may meet on the battlefield." Eris looked at Gaia who was avoiding her gaze. She noticed she had gone back to stroking the scar on her face.

They both remembered what happened the first time they had fought. When they had fled Camelot in fear of the law. Even though they had been very young they could still fight better then any soldier on that battlefield. They had both followed different kings, who'd been at odds for a long time and had finally gone to war. What the kings did not know was that the real battle was not between them but between their greatest warriors, Eris and Gaia. Neither side had won that war and in the end they had made piece but the battle had been long and tiring.

The two warriors had fought unending, both equal in strength but they also had their weaknesses. In the end Gaia, using her strategy, unarmed Eris but she hesitated in the last moment giving Eris enough time to grab a weapon and strike. She didn't think she would actually hit her. Gaia seeing the attack stepped back but not far enough. The blade cut deep into the side of her face, and as she stepped back she tripped, fell and hit her head, knocking her unconscious. Eris was shocked; even though they had been fighting she hadn't thought she would hurt Gaia. She gathered the small, frail form of Gaia in her arms and wept. This had been the war's fault that had set them at each other's throats from the beginning. This is what had turned two inseparable and loyal friends against each other. In Eris' rage at hurting Gaia she had used her power to end the battle and make the two kings see sense.

That had been a long time ago, but it seemed these events were destined to repeat themselves as the battles continued. Eris and Gaia had moved from kingdom to kingdom but they always seemed to arrive just as a battle was taking place. The wars got bigger and lasted longer. Through the years Eris and Gaia had always risen up to fight along opposite sides.

Finally they decided to return to Camelot only to find that the situation with the law against magic had worsened and a war had begun, one that would last for years. But this war was different for it had struck at the heart of their world. This time it was their people against the humans. For a long time they had lived peacefully together but then something snapped and the humans attacked them with fear in their hearts, led by their foolish king. They believed they were evil and untrustworthy, that they might use their powers to overtake the humans, and once again Gaia and Eris were forced to choose sides. Eris chose to fight right along side her people as a part of the rebellion. Gaia chose to work on the inside, trying to bring back mutual respect.

After only a short while of working on the inside, Gaia had discovered another with the same ideas as herself. Merlin, or Emrys, as their people knew him. She had heard so many stories about him in her youth. His powers were meant to be extraordinary. She had discovered him when she had been collecting her favorite berries in the forest and had found herself caught in the middle of the knights of Camelot fighting off a group of bandits.

Gaia had watched from a distance in awe of the skill that the knights had displayed. She easily picked their leader, prince Arthur, out of the crowd. Even though she had only seen him a few times when she had been performing some of her duties as a maid in the castle, his blond hair easily gave him away. Along with the fact that he was surrounded by his closest knights, and as many may have missed this point, his closest friends.

This small group also included prince Arthur's manservant, Merlin. No one had noticed her presence so, when he thought no one was looking, Gaia caught a glimpse of Merlin's eyes flashing gold, causing one of the bandits to trip and knock himself out. From what she had witnessed she knew immediately who he was.

Gaia knew that she had stayed long enough and had rushed back to the castle, and to her small chambers. She hid her basket of berries under the bed so no one would find them, for the berries had been rumored to have certain magical qualities if mixed properly.

She sat in silence on a chair next to her window that looked out over the courtyard. Gaia had taken to sitting in this exact spot whenever she was contemplating how to save her people's fate. She had watched many of her people die from this window. Even with everything she was doing she could not save everyone. King Uther had meant the executions to scare sorcerers into abandoning their magic, but for Gaia it had done the opposite.

Uther's actions had only magnified Gaia's want to change Camelot and return it to its former glory. She had found moments where, even though she did not like to admit it, she had wondered if Eris was right in wanting the king gone ahead of schedule. Gaia had quickly shaken this thought from her mind. She had chosen her path and was, like Eris, too stubborn to change her mind so far into the game.

After the revelation of Merlin's magic, Gaia had secretly followed and watched him to see what kind of person he was. She was not disappointed with her findings. He had a kind heart and had done so much for Camelot that no one even knew about. Because of what she had found out about him, Merlin had gained a new ally, even though he would never know it. Gaia had found that her job was a lot easier if she did it from the shadows. As Merlin secretly protected Arthur, Gaia would secretly protect him. They would never even know she was there.

But unlike Merlin, Gaia found that she enjoyed her deception. She decided that she would be that person that no one ever noticed and so no one would ever suspects anything from. She would always be the person in the background. Gaia knew that everyone else was too busy to put the pieces together, the fact that she was always there when evil was defeated or when they found out how to defeat them. No one ever suspected Merlin, so she knew that no one would ever suspect her. The only one she would ever expect to catch on was Merlin, but he had remained oblivious, much to Gaia's delight.

Her place at the castle also aloud her to protect her people even though to them she was a traitor, a breaker of oaths. She had vowed to never leave the side of her people. Oh if they only knew. Even her closest friend, Eris believed her to have forsaken them. But she could not tell her exactly what she was doing. Though she had told Eris her intentions she hadn't told her about Merlin. Eris' intentions were good but her ally Morgana had other plans.

A light squeeze of her hand jolted Gaia from the past to the present. But one look at Eris confirmed that she too had been lost in the past and was still there. Time was running out and Gaia knew she would soon have to return to the castle and put on the disguise of a quiet maid who never had and never would truly accomplish anything of worth in her lifetime. But she gave Eris a few more moments.

Eris and Gaia were both equally matched in battle. They had both survived the other conflicts but Eris knew this time would be different. If they met in battle again their combined power could destroy them both. Eris would give anything to turn back the seasons to when they were both innocent, like Cles and Ora. To a time when people would comment on how Gaia and herself seemed to be joined at the hip. From the beginning Eris had known there was something familiar about their friendship, as if in another lifetime they had walked the same path together. Sometimes she had short bursts of memories that she knew did not belong to her, of people she could not name and places filled with the impossible. Oh to go back to the time when that was the only problem that had been on Eris' mind. To when they had first taken the oath, vowing to never leave the side of their people. An oath Gaia had broken. Deep in thought Eris didn't notice Gaia's hand slip from hers.

"I have led the soldiers away from your camp but they will not be fooled for long." She said bringing Eris out of her memories.

"I understand." She knew that this was Gaia's way of saying that this was goodbye for now. "Be carful you know what will happen if you are caught and they find out you are one of us."

"I know." Gaia said and their eyes locked. "You too."

"What?"

"Be carful." Gaia took Eris' hand one last time and lightly squeezed before letting go and turning to leave. Eris turned around to look back at the camp then turned her head back to see the slowly retreating form once more.

"Gaia," Eris spoke up.

"Yes." She said turning to look back as well.

"We'll always be friends right?"

Gaia smiled. "Always."

Then she disappeared into the trees, her last words still ringing true in Eris's ears. Always.

**Should I continue this story?**

**Please REVIEW! This is my first fanfic.**

**Thanks guys.  
><strong>


	2. Secret life

**Here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long but I got into writing my other fanfiction, Mercy.**

**Thank you nibby9 for inspiring me to keep going.**

Secret Life

The sun was already beginning to rise when Gaia finally got back to Camelot. Using the darkness that still had a hold of Camelot, Gaia, as fast as she could, sprinted towards the outer wall. She had done this run many times before but her heart still pounded in her chest at the fear of being seen. She pressed one of her fists to her chest as if this would be able to muffle the sound of her heartbeats.

Her blood pumped in her ears as she pressed herself against the stonewall, trying to make herself as small as possible so that any soldier looking over the wall would not be able to see her.

Confident no one was looking, Gaia crouched down in front of the wall. Slowly she razed her right hand, pointing one of her slender fingers at the stone. The words of magic flowed like silk over her tongue as she spoke them under her breath. Gingerly she placed her outstretched finger against the stone and watched as small bolts of lightning danced across the stone, illuminating Gaia's face in the night. The outline of a door suddenly appeared in the wall's face. Gaia took one more look around her quickly. Knowing what the consequences would be if she were to get caught had made her more wary.

She quietly laughed to herself. What would Eris have thought if she could see her now? Eris always liked to jump first, look later, and she had usually taken Gaia tumbling down with her. Sometimes Gaia had found herself wondering why she let Eris drag her into things and then she would remember the thrill of running along side of a friend, knowing that you had one. It made all of the cuts, and sometimes broken bones, worth it.

It had been Eris who had suggested fighting in that first war. She had never been one for sitting around and watching. And Gaia, being the pushover that she had been, had said sure. After all, Eris had always been there, so why not fight by her side. But Gaia never did fight along side Eris. She had repaid Eris' kindness with betrayal. Yes, she had argued to Eris that she had not betrayed her, but deep down Gaia knew that Eris' accusations were anything but false.

She thought about this as she lent against the stone door she had created, slowly opening it a crack so she could peek out to see if there was anyone on the other side. Seeing no one, Gaia pushed harder on the door, managing to open it just enough to squeeze through. The door closed soundlessly behind her, transforming back into the solid rock that made up the wall.

Trying to look as normal as possible for someone who got up absurdly early in the morning, which she usually did since she found that many a night had been plagued with nightmares of the battlefield. Was it a crime to say that she missed it? That she missed the many different battle cries she had yelled as she charged into battle? Or the looks on her opponents face when they realized they had underestimated her? She would never tell anybody, but she longed to hold a sword and to wear armor. Eris believed that she was scarred. Yes, this was true, but not in the way she thought. The thought of what had happened to friends and family on that day still haunted her. It was those images that pushed Gaia to take the path she had. That pushed her to… No that was a story for another time.

Taking a deep breath, Gaia began the all too familiar stroll back to the citadel. The streets were empty as they usually were at this hour. So Gaia was startled when the dark form of one of the knights stepped out of the dark. The sudden appearance of Sir Leon caused her to stumble back into a display of clay pots, nearly knocking several over. She just managed to catch herself on the side of the table before she too went tumbling down.

"Sorry, you just startled me." Gaia said to ease Sir Leon's concerned features.

"My apologies miss, it was not my intention." She was surprised to hear him speaking so formally.

"When is it ever? And there is no need to speak so formally I am merely a servant." She said, brushing herself off.

"What are you doing out at this hour?" He quickly changed the subject.

"I was helping a friend at the tavern." Gaia lied easily.

"Ah, I see. I take it Sir Gwaine was there as well."

"He is our best customer."

"Be carful on your way back. The streets are dangerous in the dark."

"I wouldn't worry. I have the sunrise at my back." She waved goodbye to the knight and continued on her way. She had to take a few deep breaths in order to calm her nerves. That was close. Thank Gwaine's drinking habits.

Soon she found herself standing in the middle of the courtyard staring up at the tall towers of the citadel. Gaia wondered what secrets and lies were running along its hallways. What new deceptions did it hold? That was one of the reasons she had chosen this side of the battle, because of her curiosity.

Waking herself from her reveries, Gaia quickly found the side door that led to the servants' quarters. The door opened up onto a winding flight of stone stares. The sounds of her footsteps were awkwardly loud in the confined space of the staircase. Ignoring it she hurried on until she came to a hallway filled with doors, each one leading to a different servants small room. Gaia made her way down the hallway, counting the doors until she came to the fifth door on the right.

She reached her hand into a small bag that hung from her waste, rummaging around for the small brass key that would fit this door's lock. Her fingers met everything from string, to buttons, to needles for sewing. Her hand recoiled every time it met the sharp end of a needle. Finally the rusted surface of the key slipped into her grasp.

The door opened to reveal a simple room, filled only by a small bed, a side table, and a chair. Gaia had been lucky to get a room with a window, especially one that looked over the courtyard.

Gaia barely even sat down on her bed when a knock came at her door. She scrambled to open it, knowing full well who would be on the other side. The face of one of the older maids met her when she did finally manage to open the door. Her wrinkly features showed that she was not best pleased.

"Well don't just stand there, we have windows to clean." And without another word, her large form bustled down the hallway, with Gaia close at her heals.

Gaia was sure they had only cleaned these windows a few days ago, but already they were covered in grime. The old maid had throne a bucket of water and towel at her. "Clean." She barked the order.

That is how Gaia found herself wiping grime from the windows on a rainy day. Luckily she was cleaning them from the inside.

Being a maid did have its upsides. She did enjoy listening to the others gossip, even though the information she gathered usually had no use to it. But sometimes if she were lucky they would say something that would come into use later. Unfortunately this was not one of those times. So Gaia had to listen to them ramble on about who was dating one of the farmer's daughters.

While she was cleaning one of the windows the announcement came that the knights were returning from their search for the druids. Hearing this Gaia rushed over to one of the windows that looked out over the courtyard in time to see the first of the knights, with prince Arthur at their head.

She let out a breath she had not known she was holding when she saw that they had no prisoners. Her diversion must have worked. Filled with relief Gaia went back to cleaning the windows until the old maid called upon her.

She shoved a pile of cloths into her arms. "Take these to the prince's chambers and be quick about it. He needs them for tonight's banquet. Oh and ask him if he wants the usual, the cook wants to know."

Honestly sometimes Gaia wondered why they needed to have so many banquets. She didn't even want to know why they were having this one. But like every day Gaia did not complain.

The halls were strangely quiet as she made her way to the prince's chambers. She was not pleased with being given the job of delivering the prince's clothing. Usually she preferred to stay out of sight and not alert anyone to her presence. It would be better if none of them even thought that she existed.

She could have found the prince's room even if she had been blindfolded. She had been there often enough. Not to deliver clothing or clean but to, for lack of a better word, spy on the prince. Especially when word got around that they were going on a quest. She wanted to know as much as she could so that she could make sure their journey would be relatively safe.

Gaia knew that Merlin was there to protect Arthur and that she would not be able to redirect every group of bandits, magical beasts, or vengeful sorcerer. But she did manage to get most of them out of the way so that when the prince's party left the city they would have less trouble to deal with.

Throughout their journey's Eris and Gaia had met all manner of creature and folk. They had grown to respect the two friends.

Arthur's quests always seemed to lead him to the most dangerous parts of the kingdom. Gaia had had to call in quite a few debts already. It kept her busy.

The prince's chambers were the same as always. Gaia quickly made her way through the door and placed the cloths on the bed where they would be able to see them. She hoped to be quick with her work so she could leave before they reached the room. But it seems luck was not on her side on this rainy day.

The sound of voices from just outside the door caught her ear. She stiffened slightly but tried to relax and look as normal as possible.

Prince Arthur did not seem to be in the best of moods as he barged through the door to his room, Merlin following close behind. He threw down his sword on his desk in frustration.

"How did they get away?" He fumed, not taking any notice to the maid laying out cloths on his bed.

"I'm not sure sire." Was Merlin's simple response, he knew Arthur was not pleased. But Merlin was quite satisfied with the outcome to their search party.

"I could have sworn we were getting close."

"Yes, but the tracks did turn out to be from a pack of animals. It's a common mistake."

"Well I am not common." Arthur moaned.

"Perhaps you will have better luck next time."

"They will be far away by next time." Arthur plopped himself down in his chair.

"Now to get your mind off of it why don't we get you ready for tonight's feast." Merlin tried.

"There's a feast tonight?"

"Yes, your father's orders." Merlin went over to get the prince's cloths that the maid was still straightening out on the bed, making sure there weren't stained in any way. Merlin could hear Arthur's protests.

The maid finished checking the rest of the clothing and then made her way back to the door before stopping, seeming to remember something. She turned around.

"Sire?" She asked.

"Yes." Arthur acknowledged.

"The cook would like to know if you would like the usual for the feast."

"Yeah, sure." He stated simple them waved her away. She curtsied then left.

Once outside, Gaia's legs finally gave out on her and she lent against a wall for balance. She had never been that close before. Composing herself she hurried off to tell the cook the prince's answer.

Usually Gaia would have attended the banquet but that night she had decided otherwise. She was going to finish up a few extra chores the old maid had dropped on her then retire early. Her excursion the previous night had taken her sleeping time, she was tired.

Her last task was to take a basket of laundry down to the cleaners. It was that that caused her to travel down the hallway outside the prince's quarters for the second time that day.

The sound of a window creaking caused Gaia to stop in her tracks. It was coming from Arthur's room, but he was down at the banquet. So who was opening the window?

Old habits kicked in as Gaia stealthily entered the room. A few of the candles in the room were still lit, allowing Gaia to make out the form of someone climbing in through the open window.

**Cliffhanger.**

**Thank you for reading and please REVIEW!**

**Reviews inspire me to write faster.**

**Sorry if this chapter was a little boring. I am trying to build up to the action.  
><strong>

**Please give me ideas on where you want this story to go because I don't know.  
><strong>


	3. Morgana

**Here is the next chapter. **

**Sorry it took so long. **

****Morgana

Morgana swept into the fugitives' camp unannounced, but that was usually her style wasn't it, to come out of the dark unexpected. In the beginning it was only prophesy that new of her coming, but she didn't come out of the dark. No, she melted into it, becoming one with it, and she liked it.

The inhabitants were quite startled by her sudden appearance. The Great Witch was paying them a surprise visit. A few of them stood up too quickly and were forced to clutch their heads in order to not give into the dizziness that overcame them. They were still a little hung over from the night before.

Morgana looked on them in disgust. How could they have been drinking at a time like this? Her plans were finally coming together and the end of Camelot was just over the horizon.

One of the sorcerers stumbled towards her mumbling some kind of plea for forgiveness. An older man pushed past the young sorcerer, urging him to get up and to go clean himself so that he could be presentable.

"Sorry me lady." He bowed deeply.

"Ah finally someone I can talk to who can hold their liquor. It is nice to see you Captain." The old Captain beckoned her to follow him to a place where they could talk.

He held open the flap of his own tent for her to step inside. It was surprisingly neat inside. The old Captain pulled out a nice cushion for her to sit on but she waved it away, preferring to stand.

Another dark form entered the tent unannounced. Morgana nodded her head in acknowledgment as Eris joined them. Eris bowed slightly in return.

"To what do we owe the pleasure my dark lady?" The old Captain got right down to business.

"I am calling in a debt you all owe me." Morgana's voice gave off the impression of someone who was not to be trifled with.

"Which debt was this?" Eris joked.

"I have helped you on several occasions to avoid being caught by the knights of Camelot." Morgana smirked.

"You failed to aid us this time." Eris mocked.

"And yet you are all still alive and well." Morgana countered.

"Well aren't we just the luckiest people." They stared at each other for a long moment.

The old Captain fidgeted nervously, he could feel the tension growing in the small space of the tent. He did not like being in the middle every time these two clashed swords. They never seemed to be able to get along, not fully. What had happened that had caused this feud?

"Anyway, why don't we get back to the matter at hand." He said, clapping his hands together. "What can we do for you Morgana? You have come quite a ways just to see us."

"I am in need of your assistance." Morgana broke eye contact with Eris.

"I would have thought that was obvious. For what other reason could you possibly be here other then to get something from us." Morgana glared at Eris' words once more before looking away and continuing.

"My plan to take Camelot is almost at its climax and I need you all for the finale. You are the best group of sorcerers I could think of to help me take Camelot. What say you?"

There was a few moments of silence as everyone in the tent thought about the offer. They did not worry about the problem of taking Camelot, it was the keeping it that always seemed to be the problem. Morgana had taken the kingdom before easily, but she had lost it just as quickly. It only took one mistake for all of this to come crashing down on them. If they were on the wrong side things could get sticky really fast.

The knights of Camelot were not to be thought of lightly. Each one would die for their kingdom willingly, no doubt a noble quality. The sorcerers that had taken refuge together in this small camp could never hope to be as noble as the knights of Camelot. Each one of them dreamed of the day when they too could have such a cause that they would die for, unfortunately that time may come sooner then they had thought. If this didn't go as planned the day may never come when they would be free, and they might be forced to live this way, on the run, forever.

Morgana had gone against Camelot with a giant army, which could not be killed, before and had not managed to defeat Camelot. Perhaps now she was beginning to come to her senses. An army may not have worked, but what about a small group of skilled sorcerers who could easily slip in without detection.

"How exactly are you planning to do this?" The old Captain questioned.

"As you may have already guessed, with this small group we could get inside and destroy them from within. Then we will signal to my army to storm the castle." Ok, maybe she hadn't given up on the whole army thing after all.

"Where would we strike first?"

"The heart of course. We must destroy the King, then the Prince. Then the dominoes will fall." Morgana smiled with glee. "Without their leaders the knights will become disoriented and fight only with anger. Their anger will make their actions sloppy."

"How are we going to slip in, through the front gate?"

"No of course not. We can easily cut a hole in the wall and slip in through the servants doors at the back of the castle."

"Not bad but what about Emrys?" Eris spoke up.

"Already thought of." Morgana spoke in triumph. "I am sending in one of my stealthiest assassins to plant a few of these leaves under the Prince's and the King's pillows." She held up a handful of dark purple leaves.

"Are those?" The old Captain's eyes widened at the sight of them.

"Yes, they are the leaves from a poisonous bush with deadly berries. The very one I am sure you are thinking about. With the proper spell the leaves will drain the energy from who ever is near them when they are activated, and over the course of about a week they will slowly weaken more and more. Then they will die." Morgana was becoming very excited as she explained her plan. She spoke of death with such joy. "So when they sleep tonight the leaves will take their effect and they will be weakened. Emrys will be so occupied with trying to reverse the effects that he won't see us coming until it is too late. We will kill them in their sleep."

"It seems you have thought of everything." He complimented. "So, when do we strike?"

"In a weeks time, so the leaves will have time to take their affect." She explained. "My assassin will slip in tonight, while they are all at the feast, and plant the leaves. By morning everyone will be fretting over that little spell which there is no cure for, I checked. So when the time comes we will have no problems going unnoticed." Morgana was thrilled with her plan. No one would be able to stop her, not this time. Camelot would be hers. "They will not have the courage to reclaim the city. With me as the only living heir to the throne they will be forced to bow down to their new Queen."

"Well I believe I speak for everyone when I say that we're in." The old Captain said with finality. "What say you Eris? You have been awfully quiet."

Eris was still standing near the doorway, deep in thought, but she looked up when he addressed her. "Well its as you say Morgana. This will all be over soon."

"So I take it you agree to this plan?" Morgana pushed.

"Yes." Eris responded simply, her expression remained emotionless.

"Well now that that's all settled, I best be going now so that I can make the final preparations." Morgana made her way to the door. "I hope you won't disappoint me Eris." She spoke slyly into Eris' ear as she passed her. "We don't want any mistakes."

Eris glared at Morgana, giving her a look to kill, but Morgana merely laughed it off. She went to leave but Eris caught her arm, halting her movement.

"Be careful Morgana, you never now who might be waiting for you." A wicked smile wormed its way onto Eris' face. The smile Morgana had been sporting quickly vanished.

She knew from experience not to go too far with this Witch. Eris was still a mystery, along with her past. She still didn't know what she was capable of.

Eris had appeared out of the blue one day, offering her services. She demonstrated quite a bit of skill with the dark arts, so of course Morgana was thrilled to add her to her group of sorcerers. Though she did suspect that there was something more to Eris then she first thought. She was keeping something from her, something important. She had an air of danger about her, and mystery. She mostly kept to herself.

If she was giving Morgana a warning it was not to be taken lightly. Everything she said had a hidden meaning. She would have to keep Eris close when they stormed the castle. Morgana wasn't going to let her out of her sight.

She pulled her arm from Eris' viper grip and stormed out. Morgana reached the edge of the camp and mounted her horse, disappearing into the forest.

Eris watched her go, the dark smile still stuck to her face. She always loved to keep secrets and watch others squirm when she hinted at what they might be.

Morgana's plan was not going to work the way she thought it was. Of that much Eris could be certain. In what way she was not sure yet, but she sensed it. Eris laughed softly to herself. Something was going to go wrong for the Witch and she would never see it coming. Eris was going to enjoy this.

Eris had to compliment Morgana at her attempts but apparently she hadn't heard the prophecies about Albion, and Eris didn't tell her. She didn't feel like it was her place to say; she was going to have to find out on her own.

Eris' frown deepened as she remembered her disappointment when the Witch had not recognized her. Yes the Morgana she had first met had been quite different but that couldn't explain why she had forgotten both Gaia and Eris. Eris didn't think they had changed that much, had they? But that is a story for another time. For now Eris made her way back to her own tent to prepare for the next days events.

**Thank you for reading. And please, I beg of you, REVIEW.**

**Reviews help me write faster.**

**Sorry If this one was a little shorter then the others.**


	4. Assassins

**Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.**

**Thank you Stellato for your review.**

****Assassins

It was dark when the assassin finally managed to get inside the walls of Camelot. He squeezed himself inside a small opening in the wall of the castle to hide from a group of soldiers on patrol. He exhaled deeply when their footsteps faded.

As silently as possible he scurried across the courtyard until he was right under the window to the King's chambers. He slipped two arrows from his quiver and mercilessly jabbed them into the spaces between the stones that made up the castle walls. Without another thought he began to scale the wall.

Half way up he was forced to stop when he heard voices coming from bellow him. He dangled there dangerously and only began to climb again when he was sure he was alone.

The lock on the window was easy enough to pick. It slid open soundlessly at his touch. He slipped into the dark room, making no more noise then a mouse. His eyes immediately fell on the nicely made bed where the king himself slept every night.

The assassin scoffed. How could this oppressor be aloud to sleep in this nice bed when the rest of them were forced to sleep on the cold ground? _But the next time the king slept here he will have wished he hadn't._ This thought lightened the assassin's mood. He slithered towards the bed and lifted the freshly puffed pillow.

He removed a small leather pouch from his belt and undid the knot that held it shut. Inside were a handful of purple leaves. The dark lady Morgana had explained to him what they were and had cautioned him against doing his job too slowly. He wanted to have this done as fast as he could, he didn't want to be around when the spell on these leaves activated.

He took half of the contents of the bag and sprinkled it over the mattress, then replaced the pillow so that none of them could be seen. He smiled at his good work then was out the window as quickly as he had entered.

Using the arrows he moved sideways across the wall until he reached the prince's chambers. This window was not locked at all. _Must have a forgetful servant. _He thought to himself. Oh well, this just made his job that much easier.

He slipped in and moved towards the bed to perform the same task that he had in his father's chambers, but that's when he noticed that the door to the hallway was open. He froze in his path, his eyes quickly scanning the room. The few candles that were lit gave off little light.

He didn't have to look for long when a slender figure stepped out of the shadows. She wore the cloths of a servant and she held a basket of laundry in her hands. She looked at the assassin curiously, tilting her head to the side.

The assassin sized up the young woman. She looked slightly frail, not at all a threat. So he stood up tall, trying to look as powerful as possible in order to intimidate the young servant, but she didn't even flinch. She just kept looking at him, with those large, soft eyes. She put the basket she was holding on the ground without taking her eyes from the assassin.

"Hello." She spoke innocently. "Can I help you? Are you in need of assistance?"

"You could help me by leaving and pretending that you never saw anything." His request was worth a try. He didn't want to hurt the girl but she had seen too much.

"Oh don't worry." She razed one of her slender fingers to her lips. "I won't say a word."

"That won't be a problem." He said, taking a step towards her. "You won't have a tongue to say it with soon enough." Even with his ominous warning the girl didn't move.

"Is that so." For a moment her sweet voice deepened and showed hints of darkness. "Well if that's the case then you won't mind me asking what exactly you are doing in the prince's chambers."

"Nice try, but there's no chance I'm telling, not even to you." He smirked.

"Did I not ask nice enough?" She purred. "Well isn't that a shame." She took a step towards the assassin and razed her right hand. A short spell slipped through her teeth and her eyes flashed gold. The assassin's eyes immediately fell out of focus.

"Now let me ask again. What are you doing here?"

"I was sent by the dark lady Morgana to plant these poisonous leaves," He held up the leather bag. "And place them under the king's and the prince's pillows so that when they went to sleep tonight they would be infected and then slowly die over the next week."

"Well we can't have that." She crossed one of her arms over her body and rested the elbow of her other arm on it and began to tap her temple with one of her fingers. "Is there a cure?"

"No, there is no cure." The spell worked his tongue.

"Oh dear." She tapped her temple again, her eyes flash gold once more and he was released from her spell.

Once he was released he fell to his knees. "What did you do to me?" He howled.

"Oh nothing much." She smirked slyly. "But you really should learn to control your tongue. Who knows how many more of your lady's secrets you'll spill."

"What?" But before he could say another word the serving girl spoke the words of magic once more and he fell under her spell.

"This isn't like Morgana. There must be more to this plan." She pondered. "Why is your lady doing this? What else does she have planned?"

"The poison is merely a diversion for the great Warlock, Emrys." He spoke against his will. "In a weeks time, when the poison has done its work, she is taking a small group of sorcerers to sneak into the castle and take it from within. When the time is right she will signal to her reinforcements and her army will fall upon the city. She wants Emrys out of the way."

"Only a diversion you say." She tapped her temple several times. "Thank you. You have been very helpful." Then she released him from her spell once more.

"Stop doing that." He ordered. "You have no right to force words from my mouth."

"I have every right." She retorted. "You are planning to attack a place I call home. Now we can't have that, can we? Whether you like it or not I am already involved. "

"You have heard too much." He said getting to his feet. "You can never leave this room alive." He slipped a curved dagger from his belt and pointed it menacingly at her.

"What a mess you have made." The girl went on smirking. "What would Morgana do to you if she found out you messed up."

"I haven't messed up." He jabbed the dagger in her direction. "Once I am done with you all of this will be erased. She will never have to know."

"Let me guess." Her arms dropped to her sides. "She thinks you are the best magical assassin in the world."

"Yeah that's right." He grinned fiendishly. "I have never failed."

"Yes and I would hate to put a black mark on your records." She clapped her hands together softly. "But it seems your lady was mistaken."

"No she wasn't." He growled. "She is never wrong." But by the time he finished speaking the girl had vanished. He looked around for her frantically, fear welling up inside him. If he lost her Morgana would have his head.

A mischievous giggle came from the air beside him. He froze. She had moved so quickly he hadn't even noticed that she was standing right beside him. "You're too slow." She mocked.

"No!" He spun around, swinging his dagger. His dagger never met its target, because she was no longer there. Pain shot through his arm. The girl was pinning it tightly to his back.

"And you're sloppy." She added. "Not a good trait for an assassin. You are letting your emotions control you." Using his arm she spun him across the room.

"So you're giving me pointers now." He rotated his arm, trying to get the feeling back into it.

"Well I can't share all of my secrets." She tapped the tip of her toe on the floor.

"I still have a few tricks of my own." He lunged at her. Things seemed to slow down as she caught him by his arm. She slipped a small knife from a hidden pocket she had sewed into her right sleeve. As quick as humanly possible she had the assassin in an unbreakable hold with the knife pressed to his throat.

"You want to know who the best assassin is." She whispered in his ear. The assassin breathed heavily trying to force air into his lounges. In one swift movement she moved the blade across his throat.

"Its me." Gaia let him fall to the floor, motionless. She picked up the leather bag that the assassin had released from his hand when she had killed him. She opened it but quickly threw it away as if it had burned her. A few of the leaves fell from the bag onto the floor. They had begun the glow. The spell had been activated.

Gaia clutched her heart as she tried to regain her breath. She took a deep breath and reached out one of her arms toward the bag, levitating it then setting it on fire, to make sure no one else could be infected.

Before she had thrown the bag she had noticed that it had been only half full. Quickly she got to her feet, heading towards the door, and then stopping just remembering the body she had left on the floor. She spoke a few words of the old language. The body of the assassin disintegrated, his ashes being picked up by the wind and blown out the window.

With her work there done, she ran from the room, completely forgetting about the basket of laundry she had left behind in the prince's chambers. She had to get to the king's chambers before anyone else went in.

She slowed her run to a walk as she turned the corner. Another maid was about to enter the room.

"Martha!" She called to the maid. Martha looked up, dark circles could be seen from around her eyes. She hadn't slept in over a day.

"Gaia, done already?" She tried to put on a normal, awake smile.

"Yeah." Gaia noticed how tired Martha appeared. "You look tired. You should go get some sleep."

"I would love to but I still have this left to deliver this laundry." She explained, showing Gaia the basket she was carrying.

"No let me do that. You won't be able to do it properly with the state your in." Gaia took the basket from her.

"Thanks Gaia. You are a life saver." Martha gave her a quick hug then disappeared down the hallway.

Gaia sighed with relief. She slipped into the room and made her way over to the room. She moved the pillow to reveal the glowing leaves. Gaia clutched her head and stumbled as a wave of nausea swept over her. As well as she could in her state, she set the leaves on fire, carful not to burn the mattress.

When that was done she left the room and ran back to her own. She flung open the door and flopped onto her bed. The pain she was feeling caused her to cringe. The migraine made it feel like she was dying. In an attempt to stop the migraine she took the pillow and pushed it against her head. She remained this way for the rest of the night.

**Thank you for reading. Please if you can find it in your heart to REVIEW I would be eternally grateful.**

**If you have any suggestion for where you want this story to go please put it in your review.**


	5. Back to where it all began

**I should be updating once every week now with school and everything I don't have as much time as usual.**

**In this chapter we are going to find out what Morgana has forgotten.**

****Back to where it all began

It was not the sun that woke Eris from her sleep the next morning. In fact she had not slept at all. Memories had plagued her dreams. Happy memories. You would think she would be pleased to have dreamed of nicer times, but these moments had a darker side to them. The happiness they had had in those scenes ended abruptly.

Eris had woken after a couple hours of these nightmares in a cold sweat. Her breath came in short bursts. She was finding it hard to fill her lounges with the proper amount of air. In an attempt to slow the beats of her pounding heart she got dressed and went outside.

She wore a long purple dress and a cloak of the same colour over top. The cloak was the same style as the one Morgana wore. The fabric that the cloak was made out of was a good conductor for their magic.

Eris took a few deep breaths of the cold night air. It was a full moon that night. The witch spoke a few chosen curses under her breath. She scorned the ever changing moon and its inconsistency. Its roundness was a sad reminder of her nightmares and the moments they had played over and over again.

The moon reminded her of the helplessness she had felt back then. When her perfect world had come crashing down, the time when everything changed.

Eris knew that these memories would not leave her alone. So she gave in and began on the journey back, back to the place where it all began. A place she and her friends had made their oaths and promised to stay by each others sides. The promise seemed foolish now with everything that had happened. Eris guessed that they were always destined to break the bond.

Her feet snapped twigs as she glided over the forest floor. Nothing, not even the knights of Camelot, could slow her step now. It had been ten years ago but Eris still knew the way. She knew every bush and tree. The twigs, leaves, and a few rocks on the ground were different, but other then that everything was the same.

The last time she had walked this path there had been a small form walking beside her, holding her hand as they hurried to their meeting place. But Gaia wasn't by her side anymore. No matter how much Eris wished that she were. She knew that Gaia would have loved to see this place again.

Over the years Eris had come to call it 'The Last Place', because it was. It was the last place where they had all been on the same side, shared the same smile, and trusted each other with everything. It would always be the place where they shared their last moments as a family before destiny tore them apart.

Destinies are troublesome things. Gaia had told her that line once. When Eris had asked her where she had heard it she merely smiled and tilted her head. "That's a secret." She said and giggled. When 'The Last Place' had been visited often there had been no secrets. It was then that Eris knew. She knew that things had changed and 'The Last Place' would always be just that.

Eris' walk turned into a run when the first tall, spiraled rock came into view. She burst into the old clearing with enthusiasm. A smile spread across Eris' face. It was exactly as she had remembered it.

Five tall rocks still stood on the borders of the small clearing. They surrounded a smaller circle of rocks in the middle of the clearing where a fire could be made. Green grass grew around the ruin. Eris removed her hood as she began her circle of the old place. The rocks sung the song of the past.

She looked at each of the rocks in turn. On each was painted a pentagon, each of a different colour. Each rock represented one member of their group. The first was purple, her purple. She had painted the symbol herself.

The second was green. Eris remembered Gaia standing there, even after everyone else was finished she had still been standing there trying to figure out a way to paint it so it would look as good as Eris'. When Gaia finally painted the symbol she had complained that she had messed it up, saying it looked like a child's doodle. "But that's what makes it unique and yours alone." Eris had comforted her friend.

The third was black, Morgana. Fortunately her rock had been very light so the symbol showed up on it. Eris caressed the symbol, remembering. She still couldn't understand why Morgana didn't remember her. She was determined to find out what had changed her friend so much. She knew that it was not only her hatred for the king that had driven her from the path of light. Something, or someone else had their hands dirty with the darkness that had consumed Morgana's heart.

The fourth was red, Morgause. Her hand had moved as fluidly as a professional painter when she had placed the symbol there. It was the nicest looking one out of the five. Eris remembered them all huddling around Morgause's work, complementing her. But she hadn't boasted, she had merely smiled at her friends and hugged each one of them in turn to thank them for their complements.

The fifth and final one was blue. There had once been five members of their group. Now there were only three of them left. Eris had wept when she had learned of Morgause's sacrifice at the isle of the blest. She knew that it had been her wish but that didn't mean Eris had to like it.

Morgause hadn't been the first out of the group they had lost. Eris stood longer at the stone that held the blue pentagon then at the others. The first friend they had lost. Grace. A cold tear came to Eris' eyes, but she quickly wiped it away. She had promised herself never to cry again after she had cried for Morgause.

Grace had been the most kind of their small group. She was the motherly figure. Her heart was too big, and it was her heart that had been the death of her. Eris wanted to punch the rock. A small flower was blooming at the bottom of the stone. It was a magical flower that they had planted there when she had passed. Its petals were both blue and orange. Eris was surprised that their magic at the time had been strong enough to make sure that the flower would never die, even after ten years.

You see Grace had been born with a hole in her heart. The physician didn't think that she would live past seven, but she had been twelve when her heart finally gave out on her. It was sudden and it had hit the group hard. They gave her a proper funeral, even though only four people attended. They had burned the body and scattered the ashes around 'The Last Place'. It had been a full moon that night.

If Morgana didn't remember Eris or Gaia then she was sure she wouldn't remember Grace either. Fury rose in Eris and she fell to her knees in front of the one thing that was proof that her friend had lived. She knelt there with one of her hands placed against the stone and her head bowed.

"What happened to you Morgana?" She yelled to the air. "What could have possibly happend to you that had caused you to forget your once close friends. I know we have been apart for quite some time, but…" She paused. "But that doesn't explain why you don't remember!"

Eris was sure Morgause remembered their meetings, so why hadn't she reminded her own sister of them. Something must have happened to Morgana that had caused her to lose her memories of this place. It was the place where they had all first started using the magical power they had been born with.

They had supported each other as they had all learned how to control the power. But after Grace died none of them saw the point of doing it anymore. So they had all gone their separate ways. When Morgana had forgotten she had also forgotten about her magic. Though it had lain dormant for some time, Eris had known that it wouldn't have stayed like that forever. Morgana's magic had been playful, eager to move around.

They had taught her to control it so the king would not find out. They all knew that she was his ward. Though Eris wondered why he hadn't wondered why his ward had to go on a trip once each month. The maid that looked after the lady Morgana had known their secret and had always managed to cover for them. In return for her silence they had allowed her to watch them practice. Also, when the maid had been in need of medical care they had given her the cure.

Eris got to her feet and was prepared to leave the clearing when something behind Grace's stone caught her eye. Stepping carefully she made her way closer to something that looked very familiar. Then it clicked in her mind what the large black mound, covered in leaves, was. She scurried towards it and wiped off the leaves so she could see it better.

Her eyes widened. What she had uncovered was a large black cauldron, rusted a bit from being left unattended for ten years. Eris searched for the handle. When she found it she began the difficult task of dragging it to the center of the clearing. It was heavier then she remembered, but all five of them had hauled it together back then.

The cauldron had been boiling when they had made their pact. Promising to never leave each other's sides. To never turn against their friends. It was the oath Gaia had broken and in doing so caused the rest of them to break it as well.

To make sure each of them would never forget it they had tattooed the symbol of the pentagon on the inside of each of their left wrists. Eris found herself wondering if Morgana still had the mark, or if she had lost that as well.

Eris strained her muscles as she lifted the black cauldron onto the circle of stones. The sight of the pot back in its rightful place was nostalgic. She lifted the sleeve of her cloak and dress to reveal the small black tattoo.

When she looked up an image of Gaia stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long stick played across Eris' vision. Morgause also appeared, sitting on an overturned box that they had brought as a chair. She was reading a book of spells. Eris remembered that she had been searching for a particular spell that day to make stirring the pot easier.

She had come across the idea of tricking someone into stirring the cauldron for them for a year and a day. Grace had convinced them not to even though she had to admit that it was tempting. But Gaia had been fine with being the person who usually stirred their potions. Even though she had been the youngest out of the group she had been one of the strongest as well.

Along with the images of Gaia and Morgause doing what they usually did, Grace also appeared. She was playing her red violin. The sound of it had always put them into a good mood even when the songs she had played were sad. They had burned the instrument with her body knowing that that is what she would have wanted, but they also didn't want to have the violin around if its owner wasn't anymore.

Even the memory of Eris herself appeared, dancing with Morgana to the music Grace was making. The familiar shadows of the past danced around the clearing in front of the present day Eris.

But then she blinked and they were gone as soon as they had appeared. The stones too stopped their whisperings. The clearing fell silent. It was the sign that it was time for Eris to be heading back to camp. She still needed to prepare for their storming of the castle in under a weeks time.

Eris knew that this could be her last battle. If she and Gaia fought again the outcome would be nothing but destructive, but Eris would not let this thought deter her from her current path. She would see her plans through to the end no matter what. So with that Eris left 'The Last Place' for what she knew was the last time. She would never return to the place of her youth again. Never again.

**Thank you for reading and please for the love of all that is holy REVIEW!  
><strong>

**OK I know violins may not have actually existed back then.**

**I want you guys to enjoy this story so please tell me what you want to happen next.**

**The next chapter should be up next week around the same time.  
><strong>


	6. Clockwork

**Sorry this chapter took longer for me to post. My account wasn't letting me upload anything.**

**Finally here it is. Hope you enjoy.**

Clockwork

The migraine that plagued Gaia disappeared by morning. The initial impact of the poisonous leaves had worn off but the poison itself was still there and always would be. Gaia sat up in bed and cursed her stupidity for getting poisoned. She sighed, there was nothing anyone could do about it now so might as well return to the normal routine of being a servant of Camelot.

Gaia dragged herself out of bed, still wearing the cloths from the night before and not bothering to change. She reported to one of the older maids for her duties for that day. The old lady only stared at her puzzled and stated that it was Gaia's day off. Gaia had never forgotten when she had a day off before.

She took a deep breath trying to get her bearings and remember what day it was. Gaia then decided to spend the day the way she usually spent it. Trying to make herself think of this day the same as any other so she explored the castle of course. She had lived there for years and still there were rooms she had never entered or even knew about.

Returning to her room she removed the apron she was wearing and put on her casual dress. She would have preferred to wear pants but that would have drawn unwanted attention because that was seen as strange in this particular kingdom for every day dress.

One of the many stereotypes that made Gaia not like this Kingdom. But of course there were other things that made her love it as well, for example the market and the people who lived in Camelot.

Usually on a maids day off they wouldn't be found wandering the castle so Gaia tried her best to stay out of sight. She was forced to hide behind the curtains in an alcove when the treacherous Agravaine found the need to prowl the hallway she had chosen to walk down.

He was definitely one of the people that she tried to avoid coming in contact with. Luckily she was sure that he was completely oblivious to her existence in the castle and she was going to keep it that way, at least until the end of the week.

The events that were going to come at the end of the week came floating into her immediate thoughts. Should she tell someone about it or just try to take care of the dangerous parts herself so Merlin wouldn't have to, like she always did.

It was these thoughts that swirled around in her head so that she didn't notice Merlin coming around the corner. He saw her and tried to get out of the way but being the clumsy idiot everyone thought he was he managed to trip over his own feet almost face planting on the polished floor. Gaia noticed him just before he went down and caught his arm, saving him from the pain he would have felt when he landed. The armor he had been carrying went clattering to the ground instead.

When Merlin was on his feet he hadn't quite gotten his balance when Gaia let go of his arm. He stumbled back and hit his head on a strangely placed shelf, almost knocking a vase full of lilacs to the ground.

At the sight of him Gaia couldn't help but laugh slightly. She had only ever seen his antics from afar but up close they were truly a sight to be seen.

The vase on the shelf rocked precariously close to the edge then, with another bump from Merlin, fell. As fast as Gaia was able she jumped and caught the vase before it crashed down on Merlin's unprotected head. He finally found his balance shook his head trying to disperse his dizziness.

He looked at the young serving girl before him, taking her in. "Day off?" He asked. Her attire gave her away. She nodded. "Lucky." He moaned. "I would have to be either wounded or close to dying for Arthur to even consider giving me a day off." The girl laughed slightly and smiled at him but said nothing.

"The names Merlin." He held out his hand for her to take. She did. Their hands moved up and down in the normal shaking movement before the girl realized she was expected to give her name in return. She stumbled over her words slightly as she managed to get it out. "I'm Gaia." Their hands separated.

Merlin smiled at Gaia. It was an unusual name but nice. He remembered seeing her delivering Arthur's clothes the other night. That was the first time he had ever seen her. Her appearance had sparked his curiosity, the green streak in her short brown hair and the scar running down the side of her face. He wondered how she had procured such a wound. He didn't want to press her for answers though. She wasn't much younger then himself.

They stood in silence for a moment before Merlin knelt down to retrieve the armor he had dropped. He looked over every piece hoping he wouldn't find a dent. Arthur would kill him if he wrecked his armor in any way. Merlin noticed that Gaia had knelt down beside him and was checking the armor as well. Luckily neither of them found anything wrong with it. Merlin sighed with relief.

He returned the armor to its place in his arms. Gaia handed him the pieces she had been looking at. "Thanks." Merlin tried to say from behind the pile. There was no answer. He looked around the shinny metal to find no one. Gaia was gone. Merlin tried to think of a logical explanation for the maid's disappearance but found none.

Everything about her was a mystery. When she had been there Gaia had seemed so quiet and distant. Something about her made Merlin wonder if she was hiding something, but had seemed so nice. Merlin thought back to Morgana and how nice she had acted before she betrayed them without a second thought. Sometimes it's the nicest people who hide the darkest secrets. Merlin didn't want to doubt the girl but he couldn't get her out of hid head.

He thought about running after her to try and find her but then he looked down at the load he was carrying in his arms. He sighed. That job would have to be left for another time. So he began to walk towards the armory to polish the armor but he looked back to the spot where he had run into Gaia. She had come out of nowhere.

Merlin knew all of the servants in the castle, except her. Why had he never seen her before? She wasn't new that was for sure. Where had she come from? Merlin shook his head. The girl's appearance and disappearance had been so ghostly that he wondered if she had actually been there. Did Gaia really exist or was he finally loosing it.

With these thoughts on his mind he continued down the hallway. Little did he know that a small figure stood hiding just around the corner to the hallway he had just walked away from. Gaia existed and soon he would now that for sure.

Gaia breathed a sigh of relief. She had had more contact with the servant in the past few days then she had had in the few years she had lived here. To get her mind off the matter she continued on her wandering of the castle.

Gaia wasn't sure where exactly to begin searching for the secrets that the castle held. So she just simply started walking in no specific direction to see where it would take her.

Soon enough she found herself at the entrance to the cave where the Great Dragon had been kept prisoner. Gaia hadn't been down here since before Merlin had released the beast. Yes, she knew about the dragon. She had followed Merlin down here on one of his many visits to the old creature. As usual no one had noticed her presence.

No one lived in the old cave anymore so no one was guarding it. The emptiness that filled it crashed down on Gaia hard. She felt as though in some way this cave now represented her life, empty and alone. She had betrayed her friends and had chosen the path of the shadows, a path that required one to be alone and unseen, never to be acknowledged.

Gaia stared a bit longer at the past before returning to the upper part of the castle. From there she went to the very top of the castle, avoiding knights and soldiers as she went. In all of her years in the castle she had never gone to the very top, to the highest tower. The highest one had always seemed ominous and dark like a well-kept secret. It was about time she found out what that secret was.

She found the door easy enough but it was locked. That was to be expected but it wasn't an obstacle that Gaia couldn't pass easily. She waved one of her small hands in front of the lock, her eyes glowing gold, the bolts moved and clicked. Gaia smiled in satisfaction. Slowly she opened the door.

What she found on the other side were not steps leading up to the tower. All she found when she opened the old wooden door was a brick wall. The stones were slightly different from the ones that made up the rest of the castle. This was proof that they had been put there afterwards and for a purpose.

Gaia rubbed her chin, deep in thought. She ran her hand across the bricks and closed her eyes, seeing into them. Her thoughts drew her to one brick in particular. She opened her eyes to further examine it. On it was a strange symbol.

There was a circle of what appeared to be numbers and two lines, one long and one short, that pointed to two different numbers. The shorter one pointed straight up and the other longer one pointed horizontally to the right.

Gaia ran one of her fingers across the emblem carved into the brick. She had never seen anything like it. She pushed on it slightly, letting her magic flow through her fingertips. The brick moved in and the wall shuddered. Silently it moved to the side and out of Gaia's way to reveal the steps she had been searching for. She stepped through the entrance and made her way up the winding staircase. The bricks moved back into place and the door shut behind her, but Gaia wasn't thinking about this anymore.

Gaia climbed the stairs to find a small, almost empty, room. The only thing that contrasted from the emptiness of it was a chair that sat in front of the open window. Curiosity drew Gaia to the chairs side. When she looked around the back she stumbled away, shocked at what she saw sitting in the old chair, which was at least twenty years old.

For sitting in that antique chair was something that should never have appeared in this time at all. It was completely out of place. Its rusted form slouched there; no longer able to move for it no longer had the desire to. In this old time it had no place. Some of its parts still shone almost with the same light as it had when it had first been put together.

What Gaia saw slouched there was nothing short of a small metal man, his feet hanging there unable to touch the floor. Even with all of the noise Gaia had made he did not stir from his place atop the chair. His pitch black eyes stared emotionless down at his hands that rested on his knees. He had no reason to look out across the kingdom anymore to remind him that he was no longer in his proper world. It hurt his copper heart.

Gaia knelt down in front of the small metal man. She observed just how rusted he was from being left up here alone for twenty years. Even if he had been alive he would not have been able to move even one of his little fingers. Gaia wondered if the king knew about him, probably not. If he had he would have destroyed him in belief that it was some kind of sorcery. Someone had hidden the metal man here to keep him safe, but without company he had become lonely and had forsaken hope that that person would return for him.

Gaia felt his pain. She stroked his face. The sight of him made her sad for there was nothing she could do for him. There was no one she could go to for help. She lifted his small chin so she could look into his dark eyes. They stared at each other for so long that Gaia was convinced he was going to blink, but he never did.

She let his head drop forward once more. The sun in the sky was beginning to go down. Gaia hadn't realized how long she had been up in that tower. She needed to get back to her room before they came looking for her. She didn't want anyone to find this place. She wanted to preserve it so that the place would be here even after she was gone.

Gaia looked at the small metal man one more time. "I'll come back, I promise. Then we'll see if there is anything my magic can do for you." Maybe it would even give him life again. At first glance he had looked like a lost cause but Gaia didn't want to give up hope that she could make him dance again.

With hope, for the first time in the last few days, pumping in her chest she skipped from the room and down the stairs with the small metal man on her mind.

Gaia left the small metal man sitting slouched in his chair.

But she would never return.

**Thanks for reading and I ask as nicely as I can for you nice readers to please REVIEW this story.**

**Your REVIEWS will inspire me to write faster.**

**If anyone didn't figure it out the symbol was a clock and the metal man was an automaton.**

** In your REVIEWS please place your suggestions for where you want this story to go.**

**How do you want Merlin to find out about Gaia?**

**I may write the story of the automaton as a separate story.**


	7. Betrayal

**Almost thought I wasn't going to get this chapter up this quickly. **

**With all the projects at school it seemed impossible.**

**But here it is.**

**Please enjoy.**

Betrayal

Everyone called him The Old Captain or just Captain. Barely any of them knew what his real name actually was and Felix Fedele was ok with that. He was the oldest of the group of fugitives. He had been around since before the purge. He had been a different man then. He had had a family and a good life. That all changed when the prince was born and the queen died.

He had heard the rumors about what had caused the purge and fury ran through his vanes. Because of one person's actions half the kingdom was hunted down and killed. Their numbers lowered at a horrific rate. Over the course of one year their numbers had been cut in half.

Felix had lost contact with everyone he had known back then. They were all either dead or deep in hiding like he was. He had almost been executed himself but was saved by this group of sorcerers who then made him their leader. They had done so much for him and he was willing to do anything to keep them all safe. They were his family now.

His wife had died before the purge had begun, he was grateful for that, but his children still had to endure that dark time's horrors. He had sent the youngest of them to a distant family member to keep them safe. They were still alive as far as Felix knew.

His eldest son wasn't so lucky. Magnus was his name. He had moved out a couple months before Uther had made the announcement. He had left to become an apprentice to a sword smith whose name was Narayan. Felix had been so proud of him.

None of his children had been sorcerers like he was so he thought that they would have all been out of danger. He had been sadly mistaken. A few years into the purge Magnus e was lost to him. He had never been one to sit back and watch helplessly from the sidelines. Felix had always scolded him about his recklessness, saying that it might get him killed some day. Felix wished he had been wrong.

Felix never got all of the facts about the night he died but he could guess that he had gotten himself involved with some sorcerers and they destroyed him for it. When Felix got the news it was the last straw. He could no longer hide away. They had to act.

Over the years their group grew as they freed more and more sorcerers. He had come to be called the Captain and his original name was lost. Felix thought it was appropriate though because to him Felix Fedele was dead.

Eris had joined their band of sorcerers a few years back. There had, however, been something quite odd about her, he could tell. A dark past circled her, one that she would not be willing to tell. She had shown quite a bit of skill with the dark arts. Some even said she was better then the Dark Witch, Morgana.

These words were said in hushed voices for fear of what Morgana might do to them. She had begun visiting them a few months ago, offering her support. She had helped them out of quite a few tight spots. Everyone knew that she wasn't doing this out of the kindness of her heart. Rumors had been circling that she in fact did not have a heart anymore because she had sacrificed it to a spirit of darkness. This of course was far fetched but they knew that eventually she would call in the debts.

It seems that time has come. Were they lucky that she had chosen them to help her take Camelot, Felix wasn't sure anymore. Taking the fortress would be easy but keeping it was going to be hard. Would Morgana let them go after she had what she wanted?

He only wanted to do what was right for the group. They had relied on Morgana's help too many times for his liking and now they were paying for it.

They had never done something so big before. Would they all survive? If he had the choice he would back out but Morgana would be even worse as an enemy. He wondered that if it were only him who would attack along side Morgana then he would say yes without hesitation. Felix wanted his revenge but not at the cost of the lives he had come to care for.

This is what he had been thinking about when he spotted Eris leaving the camp. He had half a mind to follow her and see what she was up to. This was not the first time she had slipped out of the camp into the darkness of the forest. Felix always waved it away with the excuse that she needed to be alone to think.

Eris reminded him a lot of his son with he air of recklessness. She rarely truly smiled and she always kept to herself. Felix could see the darkness swirling around inside her. Years of grief and betrayal clouded her eyes that may have once sparkled.

He had found Eris once sitting alone by the dying fire after everyone else had gone to sleep. She had been poking at it with a long stick, trying to keep it alive. But he could tell that her heart wasn't fully in it. A lifetime of not being able to save everyone showed itself through the simple movement.

Felix had sat down beside her. They sat in silence for a while, the silent question floating in the air. Eris was the one to break the silence.

"It started ten years ago." She began. "There had been five of us back then. We supported each other and our magic. We were happy. But I guess you know that nothing as good as happiness can last forever." Felix simply nodded in encouragement for her to continue.

"One of us died suddenly and everything changed." She continued. "We became distant from each other and eventually we all stopped meeting with each other. Gaia, one of the five, and I stuck together even after that. Without the support from the others we left the kingdom and traveled. In one of the kingdoms there was a war going on. I was never one to sit back and watch so I suggested that we fight as well. We were old enough and skilled enough. Magic wasn't banned there. So we entered the battle but…"

"But what?" Felix asked calmly.

"We had to choose a side and that is where things got complicated." Eris explained. "I knew which side I wanted to fight for but Gaia didn't agree. She believed in the other side. I tried to convince her that she was going to be fighting for the wrong side and I did manage to steer her over to my side."

"So what happened?" Felix pushed for more information.

"We had just engaged with the enemy when it happened." Eris looked like she was struggling to go on.

"What happened?" He asked again.

"Gaia stopped my blade before I attacked one of the enemy's soldiers. That's when I knew I had never convinced her. She had only said she was on my side so it would be easier for her to stop me."

"So she betrayed you." Felix summed up what she was saying.

"Well no." She tried to deny it but with one look from the Captain she broke. "Yes, she did betray me that day."

"So what happened next?" He didn't want to admit it but he really wanted to know what happened.

"We fought. I was so angry with her. She managed to disarm me but she hesitated. I took the opening. I didn't mean to hurt her." Eris bent her head in shame.

"There is nothing you need to be ashamed of." He scolded her. "Gaia betrayed you. As soon as she did that she wasn't your friend anymore."

"We promised to stay by each others sides and fight together to the end." Eris muttered.

"And she broke that promise. If anyone was in the wrong it was Gaia." Felix tried comforting her. "You don't betray your friends."

Eris nodded in understanding but she still seemed conflicted. Gaia had been her friend and Eris would never be able to get over that. Her doubts may someday be her undoing.

"Eris." He said soothingly. "I'm sorry for what she did to you. I understand what it feels like to be deceived. Do not make the mistake of trusting her again Eris. You will only open up old wounds."

Even with his words she still seemed conflicted. There was more to the story.

"She is still fighting against you, isn't she?" He knew what the answer would be.

"Yes." Eris stilled hadn't lifted her head. "I might still be able to convince her." She looked up to meet his eyes. Small fragments of hope floated in her eyes but they were slowly dying one by one.

"No Eris." He spoke sternly. "She has chosen her path. You can't trust her. She would only join you to betray you again. She isn't the friend you once knew."

"She has changed." Eris nodded.

"She may even decide to try to convince you to join her." Felix didn't like to bring up the idea.

"I would never betray you and the others. I'm not like her."

"No, you are loyal." They went to bed after that.

Felix hoped he had eased her mind. This explained much of her behavior. This friend of hers was the reason she was so distant, why she didn't smile anymore. How could someone do that to their friend? A friend's betrayal meant the end of a friendship.

That conversation had been about a month ago but Eris still seemed unsure of herself. That was how she had seemed when he saw her leaving the camp. He waited for her to return.

She returned as the sun reached its peak. Her dress dragged across the ground as she walked by him. He caught her arm, asking the silent question.

"I thought I understood Gaia's reason for fighting against me but the truth is I don't." Eris wavered for a moment still questioning her decision.

"Remember Eris, she betrayed you." He tried to snuff out any of her doubts. "She chose to work against you. It didn't seem to be a difficult choice for her to make."

"Sometimes I wonder if we were ever really friends." Eris bent her head like she had when they had sat by the fire.

The Old Captain reached out and lifted her chin so that they were looking into each other's eyes. "You are stronger then her Eris. You can beat her mind games. Do not doubt yourself for a second. That second may just be your last."

"Your right." She straightened, confidence flowing into her voice. "Gaia made her choice to betray me. I can never trust her again."

And with that she strode back to her tent, confidence in her step. Once again friends are placed against each other. The final battle was almost upon them and Eris would not loose.

"She isn't my friend anymore."

**Thank you for reading.**

**Who do you think will win? Eris or Gaia?**

**Reviews help me write faster and I want to know what you would like to happen.**

**Do you think Merlin should find out about Gaia?  
><strong>


	8. The end of reminiscence

**Sorry this took so long but I was away and suffered serious writers block.**

**Read and Enjoy.**

The End of Reminiscence

The week was quickly drawing to a close. Faster then anyone thought it would. Preparations were almost ready for the attack on Camelot. But it was not only the group of sorcerers who were forced to quicken their step. Within the walls of the city there was another that felt that time was running out.

The cold hand of time was slowly creeping closer. Counting down the seconds. The end was near. Many were still naïve to the coming battle. A certain witch had not revealed the plans of the enemy to the allies of Camelot. She had kept her identity a secret for so long. It was hard to think of giving it up. But she needed to move fast or else all would be lost and their side of this tragic tale would never be known.

But she was beginning to feel the heat of the curse. Her breaths became harsher, each on more difficult to take then the last. Her heartbeats had quickened and had refused to slow down no matter what she tried.

Our young Gaia is kept busy by the work she is given as a maid and slowly she placed her plans in motion in order to save the kingdom of legend. She never liked to admit it but she had done many terrible things in her life. Now, as the time slid away, she would turn things around.

Because of her busy schedule, Gaia was unable to return to the tower where the metal man sat alone and rusted. One night, right before she went to bed, Gaia tried to visit the metal man but she was unable to find the door. She was sure it had been there and now it was simply gone, disappeared.

There was no time to think about that now. In fact, there didn't seem to be much time for anything at all.

Gaia had reached her last couple days and the curse was beginning to take its toll. Would she be able to hang on long enough?

/

Sir Leon walked the halls of the Castle, slowly making his way to the courtyard. It was a beautiful day and he had a strong longing for the outdoors. This wasn't the normal path he would use to take to the courtyard but he wanted to try something new today.

It was that decision, that one decision that caused him to turn the corner at the same time as our young witch. Luckily, Gaia had been paying attention this time. As if she were as light as a feather, Gaia glided out of the knight's path. Her quick movements caught Leon's eye. He had never seen anyone move like that.

Though she had moved very fast he was still able to get a good look at her face. It was the girl from the market place, the one he had seen walking so early in the morning. Gaia.

After his encounter with her in the market he found himself wanting to know more about this mysterious girl. He had never seen her around before but she walked through the city as if she had done it a hundred times. If she had been there for as long as it seemed, then why hadn't he seen her before that moment?

He asked around to see if anyone knew who she was. His questions produced no answers until he was lucky enough to ask Martha, one of the maids who worked in the castle. She was around his age and had lovely dark brown hair that she usually wore up and wrapped in a cloth so it would not get in her way. Leon had been trying to think of an excuse to talk to her and it seemed one had finally presented itself.

Martha knew the girl. She didn't know much about her though except that she worked in the castle. Martha said she was a quiet thing and mostly kept to herself. She was also very kind. Martha told him about the other night when Gaia had offered to finish her work so she could get some sleep.

Even with the discovery of Gaia's name, the girl was still shrouded in mystery. Sir Leon had intended to continue his investigation that very day but a lovely warm breeze had driven him from his path. He decided to pop outside for a short walk. After all there would be time to go looking for information later.

His red cape swung behind him as he spun around to watch Gaia disappear down the hallway the way he had come only moments before. He tilted his head to the side pondering the girl's light feet. It was then that something on the smooth wooden floor caught his eye.

It had floated peacefully to the ground. It's white fabric stood out from the brown of the floor. Sir Leon wrapped his fingers around the small handkerchief, examining it in his hands. It was simple really. If he hadn't looked it over several times he would have thought it only a white piece of cloth. After he turned it over a few times in his hands he finally managed to spot it.

A small blue bird. It was embroidered on one of the corners of the handkerchief. Who ever had made it had not been skilled in the art of sewing. Yet there was something about the little blue bird. Reminiscence. A memory that only two people shared. The memory was happy but had a small lining of sadness.

A tear sprung to the knight's eye. He slowly reached up and brushed it away. Where had the tear come from and had it really belonged to him?

Waking himself from his thoughts, Leon quickly followed Gaia down the hallway. He turned the corner he had seen her disappear around a couple of minutes before. He hoped he wasn't too late. But there she was.

She was staring out of one of the windows that looked over the fields. She had a glazed look in her eyes as if she wasn't really looking. Sir Leon did not want to disturb the girl but eventually he found himself lightly tapping her shoulder to get her attention. She only looked startled for a moment before regaining her composer.

"Is this yours?" He asked holding up the small piece of cloth. Gaia looked confused. Then realizing what it was she seemed to be looking in her sleeves as if to check if the handkerchief that Leon clearly held in his hand had not actually fallen from under her sleeve. The search turned out empty.

"Yes, I do believe it is." She replied gently taking it from Leon's large hands with her small ones. They stood there for a moment in silence. Gaia caressed the handkerchief with her right thumb. Reminiscent. That was the look she carried. Lost in a world she would never be able to reclaim.

"It is very lovely." Leon commented. "Did someone give it to you?"

Gaia slowly looked up. "Yes." She said simply. "A friend." The word 'friend' brought a few tears to her young eyes.

"I'm sorry." He tried to comfort her. "You were very close to them I see."

"I was." The past tense they used was deafening in the small space of the hallway. "But it seems that friendships really do die. Even when both still breath."

Leon was confused. He had assumed that whoever had given Gaia the handkerchief had passed away if the sight of it made her react in such a fashion. He felt bad for asking. He knew this subject would be fragile for her. "What happened?"

"It's a long story." One that she was not willing to tell. "I thought that we were OK. Last time I saw her we were still friends but..." She sighed, brushing away her tears. "It feels different now."

She didn't have to say anymore. The knight had fought many a battle and lost so many friends on it's bloody fields. Even before he heard that they had passed he would know, somehow, that they weren't coming back. Now he would give anything to see them again, but that is a wish no one can grant.

"Sorry." She said it so softly that Leon wasn't sure if she was still talking to him. "Sorry." She repeated, this time clearly speaking to Leon. "I don't usually cry like this." Even the strongest of warriors can break and have a moment of vulnerability, but does that really make them weak? Or is it a sign that they have not yet lost their humanity, that they are still human?

"That's alright. Sometimes its good to just talk."

"Thank you." Her gaze drifted to the window once more. Leon looked with her. A smile replaced the tears she had let fall as memories of happier times danced before her. That look of innocence would not be allowed to linger though.

Leon heard a sharp gasp, pulling his eyes away from the window. Gaia's eyes had widened. Her entire body had gone rigid. Her tight grip on the handkerchief suddenly loosened and then she was falling. Leon caught her just before she hit the floor. Harsh choking sounds came from her gasping lips, trying to get air that her lounges would not accept. He looked down into her frightened eyes.

Leon froze. What should he do? Gaia had looked fine just a few moments ago. What happened? His chest tightened and he wanted to scream for help for the girl dying in his arms. Her chest rose and fell quickly showing how difficult it was for her to breath. There wasn't much time. Leon gathered up Gaia's quaking body in his arms and hurried to Gaius.

He burst through the doors, startling the old man and causing him to drop the book he had just taken from the shelf. He was about to scold Leon when he saw the body in his arms. Without a word Gaius gestured for him to lay her down on the bed. He quickly did a check over looking for symptoms. The more he looked the more frightened he seemed to become. All of the signs seemed to be pointing in one direction but he had to be sure.

He gently lifted her head to check for any damage at the back. His eyes widened and he stumbled back in shock. For there on the back of Gaia's neck was an ugly welt that took on the shape of a spider. Venom. But it didn't come from a spider. This one was far more dangerous. Gaius looked down mournfully upon the girl's face. She was still young. He wanted to punch himself for there was nothing he could do. For the first time in his career he knew that he could do absolutely nothing. Not even magic could fix this.

"What is it?" Leon asked in concern.

"I'm sorry." Gaius stumbled over his words. "There is nothing I can do."

"What do you mean?" Leon's voice rose. "What's wrong with her?"

Gaius was about to answer when the door flew open for the second time that day and a maid came running in. Without looking at the others, she immediately sat down on the seat next to the bed, taking up Gaia's small hand in her worn ones.

"Martha?" Leon had never seen her this distressed. Her beautiful skin was stained with tears as if she already knew what Gaius was going to say.

"So what is it?" She asked.

"It seems somehow she came into contact with a poisonous leaf. It is more dangerous then it sounds. Especially when magic is used upon it. The victim will have seven days before..." Gaius stopped and changed direction. "This particular leaf is usually used in assassinations. I don't know who would want to kill her."

"No one would." Martha muttered, realization dawning on her. "You said seven days right?"

"Yes I did." Gaius looked confused.

"How far along is she? Can you tell?"

"From what I can see it has been five days. She is almost in the final stage."

"The feast was five days ago." Martha explained. "I saw her that night when I was taking some clothes to the king's chambers. She looked a little scared. I was so tired that I thought nothing of it but she asked if I wanted her to take the clothes in for her. It was as if she were pleading."

"If you are correct then perhaps someone was attempting to kill the king and she knew about it. She must have been infected when she tried to remove the leaves from the kings chambers. But that doesn't explain how she knew."

"Unless the king wasn't the only one this person was trying to kill. What if they were going after the prince as well. Maybe Gaia discovered them in the prince's chamber and suspected that they might also be in the king's." Leon interjected.

"But why seven days?" The group spun around to find Merlin standing by the door. "This person could have tried to kill them right away so why wait?"

"I'm not sure?" Gaius muttered.

"Is there a cure?" Merlin asked. He looked just as concerned as the others even though Gaius could have sworn he had never mentioned meeting this Gaia.

Gaius sighed. This was the part he hated. "I'm afraid not." Three sets of confused eyes fell on him.

"Are you sure? Not even anything illegal?" Merlin meant magic.

Gaius shook his head. "No, there is nothing. I have come across this once before and it did not end well. I'm sorry. There is nothing."

"So what your saying is..." Leon stammered. Gaius bent his head.

"Gaia only has two days left to live."

**Thank you for reading.**

**The next chapter will come faster if you REVIEW. Please send me your ideas and comments.**

**Will Gaia live long enough to save Camelot?**


	9. Loyalty and an arrow through the heart

**Here is the next chapter. **

**Only two more chapters after this.**

**Enjoy!**

Loyalty and an arrow through the heart

A chill ran up Eris's spine even though she was standing quite close to the fire. The fire seemed to dance over the wood it was burning. It was beautiful against the darkness. Eris was entranced. The fire looked so inviting. If she stuck her hand in would it burn her, envelope her like the wood the old Captain had placed there?

That might be nice though, to leave this world behind. This war had gone on for too long. So long that it was hard to believe it would be all over tomorrow. All day, sorcerers had been running around the camp collecting items and other things that they thought would be necessary for the coming battle.

Eris, however, had merely wandered the whole day. It was very amusing to watch the others scurrying around. Only a few hours ago had she stopped Roderick from falling into a pile of spears. He had been in such a hurry that he had tripped over one of the ropes holding a tent down.

Roderick was one of the youngest of the group. He was a clumsy boy and always managed to get himself into trouble. But he was very loyal. He reminded Eris of someone she had once met in the woods while she was going for one of her walks that had no destination.

Eris had been lost in thought that day so she didn't notice when she walked right into someone's camp. Two horses were tied to a tree and someone was trying to start a fire. He stopped immediately when he saw the stranger walk into the camp. He was tall, gangly looking, and he had dark raven hair.

Another man walked into the camp when he heard his friend stop talking, which was a rarity so he knew something was wrong. Seeing Eris he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Eris scoffed. She was sure that if she had been a man he would have drawn his sword.

This one was more muscular then the first one. He was blonde and held his head in a way that meant he had high status.

"What do you want?" He asked. Eris didn't answer. There was something familiar about this blonde one. He looked slightly annoyed now.

"Answer me." His voice was a little more forceful this time.

"Why?" Eris asked absentmindedly trying to place the young man. He looked confused now, as if no one had ever answered him like that. He was at a loss for words. This made Eris smile slightly.

"You are a noble I take it." Eris spoke before him.

"You are correct." He answered. The raven-haired one next to him was looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Not just a noble though." She concluded. Yes, there was something special about him.

"What is your name?" He asked, trying to get more information about this sudden stranger.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." Eris offered.

"You first." He was not backing down this time.

"Alright." She shrugged in defeat. "It's Eris."

"Arthur." He answered simply.

Eris' eyes widened. He was her sworn enemy, the prince of Camelot. His father was the one who had caused so much suffering. Now his son was right there, only a few feet away. She could kill him right now. Her shock turned into a scornful look.

"I see." Was all she said.

Eris slipped one of her concealed daggers into the palm of her hand and was about to lunge when she looked again to the raven haired one. He didn't look weak anymore. He emanated power. There was something about him. Wise and dangerous. Eris would have been stupid to continue her attack on the prince. So she backed away.

The biggest contributing factor to her decision was his foot. It was the smallest of details. The prince didn't even notice, but Eris did. The man's foot was positioned so it was placed in front of his masters. It was a sign of protection. If she had attacked she was sure he would have stepped in front of the prince, blocking her.

Such loyalty, and from a servant too. He had to be hiding something. No normal person would be confident enough to make that move. No, he wasn't normal that was for sure.

"I will spare you this time Pendragon." Eris slipped her dagger back into its hiding place.

"What quarrel have I with you? Why would you attack me?" He just had to know.

"Must you really ask?" The answer was really very simple.

"You're a sorceress." Arthur concluded.

"Witch." Eris corrected.

"Was it family?" He asked. "Is that why you seek revenge?"

"No." Eris had never known her parents and no one would tell her about them.

"Then why?" He pleaded for an answer. "What did we do to you?"

"It's not always family or a higher power that we are loyal to." She explained. "If you really must know I am not avenging anyone or seeking revenge for something you did to me."

"You feel protective." The raven-haired man finally spoke.

"Merlin." Arthur said to try and silence his friend before he said something that just might get them killed.

"So that's your name." Eris smiled. "Merlin. Who knows I could just do this for the fun of it. Maybe I like spilling people's blood. After all it must be the magic that corrupted me." This last comment was directed at the prince.

"Your not a killer." Merlin tried to talk her down from changing her mind and killing the prince.

"How do you know?" She almost yelled. Arthur stepped back at this sudden change of emotion but Merlin didn't even flinch. His eyes seemed to pierce her, seeing everything.

"You just don't seem like that kind of person." No one had ever said that before. Most people she met immediately assumed that she was a killer. No one had ever looked past her hard exterior. Not since… not since Gaia.

That was the first time Eris had questioned if she was on the wrong side of this war. Maybe Gaia had been right after all. But Eris was stubborn, maybe too stubborn.

The three of them stood there in silence for a moment. It was Eris who broke the silence.

"Arrow through the heart." She spoke as if she were in a trance.

"What?" Arthur noticed her eyes were glazed over, not focusing on anything in particular.

It happened so fast that Arthur wasn't really sure that it had happened. There was a swishing sound as an arrow cut through the air, aimed straight for the prince's heart. But it never met its mark. Before it even got half way Eris' hand shot up and grabbed the arrow. Her movement was so smooth and fast that if they didn't know better they would have sworn she had been holding the arrow the entire time.

Eris shook her head, knocking herself from her trance.

"That was a warning Pendragon." She said, snapping the arrow easily in half. "Leave now or the next time I might not stop it."

Then she walked away, just like that, disappearing into the trees. She didn't look back.

Roderick reminded her of Merlin. Usually he would be glued to Eris' side but he and a few others had been off doing another job for Morgana. She wanted a certain magical stone so, of course, she came to them in order to find it. A small group had been sent out. Eris volunteered Roderick for the job. She wanted him to grow and learn to take care of himself. But it seemed all that time hadn't cured his clumsiness.

Now they all sat by the fire. Roderick was rapped up in a blanket next to Eris. His head hung forward and he made small snoring sounds. Eris didn't want him going with them tomorrow but she knew that nothing she said would change his mind.

Eris had a sinking feeling about what would happen the next day. There was something kind of final about it. It would be the first time she and Gaia would meet on the battlefield in years. But this one was different. Both Gaia and Eris had walked away from the last ones. One of them wasn't coming back. Not this time.

The next day was going to change everything. Everything they had worked for was somehow all leading up to this moment. Loyalties would be tested and the true villain would be revealed.

A secret is hanging in the air. Do you know what it is?

The final battle is about to begin.

**Thank you for reading and please REVIEW!**

**Will Eris win the final fight or will it be Gaia? Who is the real villain?**

**Sorry this one was a little short. Its not my best chapter. **

**I am going to set up a poll on my profile to see which story I should write next. The summary for each one is on my profile.**


	10. Run

**Here's the next chapter. I was home sick so I got into writing. **

**Hope you enjoy.**

Run

It was early, very early, in the morning when Gaia finally awoke. Pain still swam through her head and her limbs felt like unmovable stone, but somehow she still managed to pull herself out of the bed. She looked around through squinted eyes. Everything seemed to be surrounded in shadows. She knew where she was and she didn't want to be here.

Even though she had been asleep the pain that she felt was proof enough that today was the day. It was the day when everything would end. Whether or not it would end well was another story. No matter what happened that day one thing was for certain. It was her last day. Her fate was sealed and all she could do now was make sure that no one else followed her into the darkness.

As silently as she could in her state, she snuck from the room into the hallway. Using the wall for support, Gaia made her way back to her own room. It took her longer then usual to get the key out of the bag so she could unlock the door. After moments that felt like they lasted forever, Gaia finally managed to open the door and stumble inside.

Gaia fell to her knees once the door was closed. That had taken more energy then she had expected. It hurt. Most of the pain was coming from her head but was starting to move down the rest of her body. Everything seemed to ache, especially her heart. Not just because of the poison but because it was breaking. Her entire world was crumbling around her. She never imagined it would end like this.

Another sharp pain ran through her head, making her shiver. She racked her brain for a spell to make the pain go away. She wanted to scream but that would draw the attention of anyone passing outside. Instead she bit down on her lip until it started to bleed.

Through the pain words began to drift into Gaia's mind. As well as she was able, she picked herself off the ground and searched under her bed for a piece of chalk that she had stolen from Gaius when he wasn't looking. With it Gaia drew a circular symbol on the ground. To make sure that she wasn't interrupted or caught performing her magic she locked the door to her small room.

When that was done Gaia knelt in the middle of the circle, placing her clenched hands on her thighs. Her eyes were closed, as her lips seemed to move against their will. The spell flowed out of her and into the room, swirling around then coming back to its master. Gaia's eyes suddenly flew open to reveal that they were now completely black.

As the spell drew to its end the blackness of her eyes began to run from her down her cheeks and into a puddle on the floor. The liquid kept falling until the whites of her eyes were once again visible.

The puddle on the floor reflected Gaia's face for a moment then hardened and turned to ash. The spell was a success. Gaia would never again feel the sting of physical pain.

She got to her feet. True, pain would never plague her again but it had not driven the poison from her body. Gaia was dying and there was no escape.

The sun had not fully risen yet. Gaia didn't expect Morgana to attack until the afternoon. Now all Gaia had to do was wait but not here, confined between these stonewalls. She needed to be outside.

It wasn't hard to sneak out of the city gate and soon she found herself in a green field. The grass was green and tall. She made her way through the grass towards a tree that stood alone on a small hill in the middle of the field. Cherry blossoms were growing from its branches. They were so beautiful. They marked the beginning of life but for Gaia they would forever remind her of the end.

The pain Gaia had felt was gone but she was still tired. Very, very tired. Gaia knew that if she were to fall asleep she would never open her eyes again. If a battle were not about to begin then this would have been the place she would go to die.

She may not die here but she would spend some of her last moments here lying under the tree. The grass was soft under her head. Wind blew through her short hair. The wind made it sound like someone was calling to her, calling out her name. Was someone trying to find her?

The calling became louder and she realized it wasn't the wind at all. Her head fell to the side to see someone running through the grass towards her. It wasn't hard to figure out who it was. His raven hair gave him away.

When Merlin finally reached her he looked out of breath. He wore a worried expression. This surprised Gaia.

"I looked everywhere for you." Had he really?

"I'm sorry." She felt the need to apologize. They stood in silence for a moment. Well Merlin stood. He opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it.

"I know." She broke the silence. Merlin looked confused. Part of him was probably worried that she meant she knew his secret. "I'm sick." He relaxed a bit but still looked slightly surprised.

"How did you figure it out?" He asked.

"I didn't. I suppose you know what caused it though." He nodded.

"Was someone trying to assassinate the king?" He asked.

"Yes." Gaia answered simply. "The prince as well."

"Morgana." He had figured it out. "How long have you known?"

"That I am dying?" He seemed to flinch at her words. "Since I first touched the poisonous leaves in the prince's chambers. Since I was already infected it didn't seem like a big deal to go and get the ones under the king's pillow." Gaia sat up and rapped her arms around her knees, hugging them tightly to her.

"I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm sorry you got involved." Merlin bent his head as if it were his fault.

"You have no need to apologize. It was my choice. If I could do it all again I would have still chosen the same path." She smiled at him.

Merlin lifted his head. He was surprised at how calm she was about the situation. More then ever he wished there were something he could do to save her but Gaius had been perfectly clear. There was nothing they could do for her.

Gaia looked away and up at the sky. The sun was higher in the sky now, showing the bright blue that the clouds were swimming across. She closed her eyes and let the wind sweep across her eyelids. It was a beautiful day to go but she wished it weren't. She wished it were raining.

Merlin sat down behind her with his back to her. He too found his eyes wandering up to the sky. Without a word they both lied down on the soft grass with their heads next to each other but their feet pointing in the opposite direction of the other person.

One of Merlin's feet bobbed up and down in the silence. Gaia appreciated the company. Yes, she had originally come out here to be alone without any reminders of what she was leaving behind. But there was a part of her that wished there was someone there with her that someone would come looking for her. She was glad it was Merlin. There was something about him, something comforting. He had a way of getting you to trust him even though you had only properly talked to him once.

"You don't have to hold it in you know." His voice broke her thoughts. "You don't have to act. Just let it out." Gaia wanted to cry. She wanted to scream and yell that it wasn't fair but she didn't. She never could, not even when Eris had been around. She had learnt the hard way that speaking out was only going to get you hurt. She preferred to remain a mystery, even today.

"There is no one here. Its just you and me." He continued. "I know what today is. It will hurt more if you never say it." He was right. He was always right. He had been right about Morgana and everything else.

"The sky is smiling." She finally said. "But I'm not." The smile she had given Merlin only moments ago was a distant memory now. "I know that I act strong like it doesn't bother me that I'm going to die. Like I don't care that today is my last. You're right. It is all an act."

Merlin nodded at her words, happy that he finally broke her shell. So this was the real Gaia. Not the quiet one that just does what she's told. No, this one had feelings. Everyone had hopes and dreams, even Gaia. Though that didn't really matter anymore. Gaia's future was gone and she knew it. Merlin too wanted to scream and yell that it wasn't fare.

"I'm not afraid to die." She opened up. "I am convinced that it is not the fear of death, of our lives ending that haunts our sleep so much as the fear… that as far as the world is concerned, we might as well never have lived."*

She had done so much for this kingdom. She had sacrificed everything and now she was giving up her very life for the cause. But that didn't matter. The only thing she regretted was loosing Eris' friendship. There was another thing that she had had to give up. If today didn't go according to plan then it all would have been for nothing. Even if it did all work out, Gaia would not be here to see it. Someone else would have to complete her work and she hoped it would be Merlin.

"Is there anyone in particular that you want to say goodbye to?" Merlin asked.

"There is one but I know I won't get the chance." A cloud in the shape of a flower blew by.

"Are they far away?" He wanted to know more about this person.

"For now but she won't be for long." Gaia hinted at the coming day's events.

"Then why won't you get the chance?"

"Because even if I did she wouldn't hear it. She won't hear anything I have to say anymore. She is too far gone." She explained.

"What do you mean?" He was confused.

"You will see soon enough." Was all she said.

Merlin's head was about to explode. What did she mean? She was as bad as the dragon, always speaking in riddles.

"What will I see?" He wanted a straight answer.

"So many questions." Gaia laughed but it was half hearted. The day was too grim for her to truly feel like she was laughing. She would give anything to feel the heart pounding sensation of a good laugh. But anything wasn't good enough. Not this time.

Gaia sighed. Merlin felt like his heart was going to break as he heard it. The thought that any breath she took could be her last was haunting. He knew that she was probably thinking the same thing.

"Is there anything you really want to do today?" If today was going to be her last maybe there was something he could do for her. He could make her last moments happy.

"Talk to you." For a moment he didn't understand. "Right now that's all I really want. I just want to talk to you."

Merlin didn't know what to say. He never imagined that someone's last wish would be to talk to him.

"You're special Merlin." She continued. "I feel like I can trust you."

Merlin wondered that if she really knew who or what he was if she would still feel the same. Would she still trust him? It was the same fear he had with Arthur, if and when he found out. Would he still call him friend? Would Gaia?

"No matter what happens Merlin," She reached her left hand up towards him and he took it in his left hand. "Remember that you are never alone." Merlin wondered if she was really saying this to him or if she was trying to convince herself as well.

"You know there is one thing that I really want to do right now." She decided.

"What is it?" Whatever it was Merlin would make it possible.

"I want to run." She suddenly got to her feet, letting go of Merlin's hand. "I'll race you back to the gates."

Merlin stood up next to her and smiled. "Are you sure you can beat me."

Gaia put her hands on her waste, smiling. "Are you implying that I can't beat you because I'm wearing a dress?"

Merlin laughed slightly. "Maybe."

"Then lets make this more interesting." She grins mischievously. "If I win you have to promise me whatever I want."

"And what if I win?" He asked.

Gaia thought for a moment. "I know. If you win I will give you a kiss."

Merlin blushed slightly. "You're on."

They got ready. Then without warning Gaia yelled, "Go!" They were off, bounding across the field toward the gates.

Gaia could run surprisingly fast in a dress and Merlin found himself actually trying to win. He heard her laughing but it wasn't half hearted this time. The laugh that burst from her lips was real. It made Merlin laugh as well. This brought them both back to their childhoods, to the time when they could run without a care in the world before destiny stepped in and stopped their fun.

Merlin wished that the gates were further away. He wanted to keep running. He wanted Gaia to keep laughing. He wanted this moment to last forever. But no matter how much we wish it everything comes to an end. Just like how this day was bound to come to an end. Just like how the life that ran in front of him was about to come to an end.

Before he realized it they had reached the gates. Gaia stood in front of him victorious and grinning. Merlin put his hands on his knees trying to get his breath back.

Gaia had said that he was special but in truth she was the one who was special. It only took a few minutes of talking to her to know that she was someone that you wouldn't want to loose. She made you feel wanted in the world. He wished more then anything that he had met her before this. He wished they could have become friends sooner so they could spend more times like these together.

He wanted her to live. He didn't want to let her go but he didn't have a say in the matter. He wished there was something more he could do. He wished she had more time. He wished they had more time.

"Alright you win." He admitted. "What do you want me to promise?"

"What do I want you to promise?" Gaia tried to act like she had to think about it even though she had already known even before they had started running. She stepped forward and took his hand in hers.

"I want you to promise to remember me and never forget." She was a little more serious now.

"Always."

He couldn't have answered her any other way. There word just seemed right.

It was the same thing Gaia had said to Eris a week before when she asked if they would always be friends. Like Merlin, Gaia had meant what she said. Even though they were on different sides, Gaia would always consider Eris to be her friend and there was nothing that was going to change that. Not even the battle was about to take place.

Gaia had said that Eris was too far-gone but in reality she would never be able to believe that. Always. That word was eternal, a promise that could never be broken.

Gaia leaned forward on her tiptoes and kissed Merlin on the cheek.

"Always." She repeated.

**Thank you for reading.**

**Please don't hesitate to REVIEW.**

**This is the first fanfic I started so it is kind of sad to think that the next chapter is the last one. At least I think it is.**

**How do you think it will end? How do you want it to end?  
><strong>

***quote by Harold Kushner**


	11. Ash

**Sorry this took so long. It is getting near the end of the year so that means more finals.**

**Please read and enjoy.**

Ash

The grass was flattened where they stood waiting for their dark lady to give the order to attack the city who's walls stood tall before them. They stood out of sight. The residents of the white city had no clue what was about to happen and Morgana wanted to keep it that way as long as possible. She wanted to see the surprise on their faces when she walked into that throne room unchallenged.

A broad grin spread across her face. Morgana reveled in the idea that by the end of the day Camelot would be overrun by her troops and the demons from her past would be gone forever. She felt the power running through her vanes. It felt good. She took one last look at the city she once called home then beckoned to the small group of sorcerers to follow her.

The invasion had begun.

/

It was nice. Arthur pondered the sentence that was swirling around in his head. The sky was nice. Now why would he be thinking about that? He had seen many blue skies before in his life. What was different about this one?

Usually when you see a clear blue sky it is supposed to make you happy. This one only had a few clouds gliding across it and there was a lovely breeze coming in through the open window Arthur was standing in front of in his room. He had found himself here in this spot many a time when he needed to think. The sight of his city intact and peaceful always seemed to calm his nerves, but not today.

The quietness of the streets was eerie. Arthur frowned. Was today special in any way? Had he forgotten about something important? A shiver ran up his spine. The breeze flew through his short blonde hair. It felt dangerous. Something was wrong or it was going to be. He wracked his mind for a clue at what it might be. Or maybe he was just being jumpy.

He was about to turn away from the window when something caught his eye, something small and black falling from the sky. He looked closer. Another one appeared. Then they just kept coming, like black snowflakes. Arthur reached his hand out and caught a few. Unlike snow they did not melt. He brought them up to eye level.

Ash.

It was raining ash. The sky was dark now, clouds that had not been there before just suddenly appeared. The clouds couldn't role in that quickly. He had only looked away for a second. The blue sky he had been admiring moments before was gone. Not even an inch of its previous bright colour could be seen.

How could ash be falling from the sky? Arthur immediately ran from the room to go find his father.

Something was definitely wrong.

/

Morgana looked up at the same sky as her half brother. She felt the danger in the air but she assumed it was danger she was going to cause for the rest of her royal family. She was surprised when she too saw the ash falling.

There was something sort of beautiful about it, and tragic. The ashes drifted through the air.

The rest of the sorcerers backed away from the falling ash as if it might burn them. Their faces wore fear. It was the fear they felt in their worst nightmares. One of the women screamed and almost fainted at the sight of the ash. The ash. It was what every sorcerer feared.

Each one of them was afraid that the day might come when they would see the ash fall for them. It was their worst fear, the fear of burning. Ash was a symbol to all those who had magic. It was the symbol for death.

But the ash wasn't meant for them.

Morgana looked around to see if she could spot who had conjured this bad omen but she could not find them. If it was not one of her sorcerers then who could it have been? What did it mean?

That's when her eyes fell on Eris. She did not wear the same expression as the others. Yes, there was fear there, but it wasn't the same. Eris looked more shocked then anything. Then she lowered her head, looking away from the beautiful yet tragic sight.

She looked like she finally understood. Eris knew who the ash was for and it made her sad. Why?

Morgana walked over to her. Without thinking about it, she placed one of her hands on the other witch's shoulder. Eris looked up in surprise. Morgana too did not understand the gesture but it felt right. Their eyes met for a moment and it seemed as though Eris was trying to tell her something.

Remember, her eyes seemed to say. Something nagged at the back of her mind, something long forgotten. Morgana tried desperately to grab hold of it but it kept slipping away. It was too much. She gasped and pulled her hand away from Eris' shoulder.

Her eyes felt wet. Not the crying kind of wet but the kind you get when you are cutting a union. She shook her head to get rid of the tears and walked away from Eris who just stared after her.

Morgana returned to the front of the group she was leading to Camelot for the final invasion. She would not be bringing a bunch of fearful magic wielders to knock on the king's door. She wanted to break the door down.

"Do not fear!" She yelled to get their attention. "It will all soon be over but not for us. It is the Pendragons who will pay. This ash is for them!"

The rest of the sorcerers razed their fists in the air and yelled their approval. Morgana smiled.

"Lets move!"

/

Arthur found his father in the courtyard staring up at the ash. Knights were already filling the courtyard. Even they knew to be ready for anything. The ash wasn't normal. People closed their doors to get away from it.

"Father what is going on?" Arthur announced his presence. Uther didn't acknowledge him at first but the strong hand that grabbed his shoulder jolted him out of his thoughts.

"I'm afraid I don't know son." He looked at Arthur. "What is certain is that it must be the work of a sorcerer. Get the men ready."

Without any more words spoken, Arthur dashed back into the castle to get the rest of the men that had not yet gone to the courtyard. The sound of clumsy footsteps running behind him alerted Arthur to the presence of his manservant.

He was glad for it. He would not be able to do this alone.

/

Getting into the city was easy enough. When you have magic it is easy to go unnoticed it you have practiced. Morgana had snuck in before without alerting a soul to her arrival or her departure. Even though she did find it amusing at how simple it was, part of her hoped this would be the last time she would have to sneak around. She wanted to stop hiding.

Metal footsteps banged against the ground. The group used the shadows of an alley to hide from the soldiers. Morgana cursed. They knew something was coming. Her hopes of surprising them were destroyed. Or were they? None of the residents of Camelot knew what was coming. They suspected it but there was no way any of them knew exactly what was going to happen. They knew they were going to be attacked but they didn't know by whom.

The group made their way to the courtyard going undetected. The courtyard was filled with soldiers. They needed a distraction in order to get to the doors. Silently Morgana motioned for most of them to get their magic ready. They were going to have to split up.

She then picked two to come with her as her backup. Most of them would be the decoys while they snuck into the cast. She motioned for Eris and Roderick to follow her.

One of the other sorcerers stepped forward and whispered a few words under his breath. His eyes flashed gold and a loud explosion came from the courtyard.

/

The explosion nearly knocked Arthur off his feet. He only just managed to steady himself. They had not been wrong to be wary. They were being attacked.

Cries erupted from all around them as sorcerers appeared out the shadows casting spells this way and that. Arthur recognized a few of the faces. These were the same sorcerers he had been hunting a week ago. It seemed when he had lost them they didn't actually go that far. Had they been waiting for this moment?

Arthur called over a few of the knights. "Take my father inside. It isn't safe for him here." They nodded.

Uther argued but eventually Arthur persuaded him to take cover in the citadel. Once Arthur was sure his father was safely inside he brandished his sword. He dogged the sorcerers' smells as best he could but they were good. Arthur had fought many sorcerers but these ones were different. They were fast. Spells flew from their mouths as quickly as Arthur could swing his sword.

For a fleeting moment Arthur doubted himself, his knights, and his kingdom. Maybe this was their last battle, the one battle they could not win. But he snapped out of it quickly. He wasn't going to let it end this way. This was Camelot. He would not let it fall.

His hopes were rising when he heard a scream come from behind him. There had only been one person standing where he could not see him. That idiot. Fear overcame Arthur. The fear of what he would see when he turned around. He pivoted on his right foot.

But before he could see what had happened an explosion rocked the courtyard coming from the other direction. On instinct his eyes were drawn to the fiery explosion. It looked like no one was hurt. The explosion hadn't even gone off near anyone. That was strange.

When he finally got his thoughts back in order he remembered what he had been doing and turned around. But Merlin was there, fighting one of the sorcerers clumsily with a sword. He was fine. Arthur sighed in relief. But then who screamed?

There was no time to think about that now. Three dark figures caught his eye as they slipped into the castle. Oh, no! His father was inside. Without a word he ran after them. He didn't even have to call his manservant for him to follow. He could already hear his loyal footsteps running.

They almost lost the shadowy figures a few times as they disappeared around corners. Arthur was following them so intently that he didn't notice where they were going until they burst through the doors to the throne room.

They froze in their tracks.

"It's been a long time brother."

**Alright I lied this isn't the last chapter. The next one is. I think.**

**Thank you for reading and please REVIEW!**

**The final battle has begun. Who will win?**

**Who do you think the ash is for?**

**A big twist is coming. I hope you are ready.  
><strong>

**Nothing is as it seems.  
><strong>


	12. The Duel

**Disclaimer (because I haven't done it in a while): I do not own Merlin I only own my OCs.  
><strong>

**Here's the next chapter.**

**Sorry it took my a while. We are getting to the most important part.**

**Please read and enjoy.**

The Duel

Merlin had stayed close to Arthur's side as soon as the ash had begun to fall. He watched his back as the sorcerers attacked. One of the sorcerers had almost gotten Arthur from behind but Merlin quickly countered with a spell. He didn't expect the man to cry out so loudly. His eyes were still gold when he saw Arthur begin to turn around. His heart beat wildly in his chest. This was it, the moment of truth. But Merlin wasn't ready.

That's when an unexpected explosion detonated far enough away not to hurt anyone. That was strange. It did the trick and Arthur's attention was drawn long enough for Merlin to grab a real sword and attempt to fight another sorcerer.

Merlin didn't see who had created the sudden explosion. It had been rather convenient. A shadow moved in the corner of his eye. The shadow. Merlin had caught glimpses of it a few times when they had been on quests. He had never gotten a good look at it but he knew it was the same one every time.

Yes, Merlin was the all-powerful warlock but even he couldn't be everywhere at once or take care of every danger that came their way. He was surprised he had gotten this far on his own. Or maybe he wasn't alone. Maybe there was someone else out there doing what they could to help destiny.

The acts of the shadow had all been similar. As Merlin was protecting Arthur, he had a feeling that the shadow was somehow protecting him. Many of the shadow's appearances had been when Arthur was about to discover his magic but something would always draw his gaze, like that explosion.

Merlin looked around to see if he could finally catch a glimpse of his savior but the shadow was gone like all the other times. He had to admit that he was disappointed. He wanted to thank whoever it had been. Merlin wondered if this is how Arthur felt when he couldn't find the person who had mysteriously saved his life all of these years.

Merlin's thoughts were broken when he saw Arthur run for the castle doors. He saw the shadowy figures that the prince must have seen disappear into the castle. Without another thought, Merlin followed without delay.

They followed the intruders until they came to the throne room. They burst through the doors to find an uncomfortable sight. The knights who had been protecting the king had been cut down and the king was backed into a corner with a sword at his throat. The young sorcerer who held the sharp piece of metal did not look over when they loudly made their entrance.

Merlin wasn't surprised when he saw who was sitting on the throne. Morgana. Another sorceress stood in between them and Morgana. She wore a dark lavender dress with the same cloak as Morgana. Her hood was up so neither of them could see her face. Her stance was protective and gave off an air of danger. Even Merlin didn't think it wise to take another step toward the witch who wrongfully sat on the throne of Camelot.

"It's been a long time brother." She smirked. Her grin, however, quickly disappeared and was replaced with what looked like confusion. "You're supposed to be dead, you and your king. Or at least close to it."

That's when Merlin pieced it together. The poisonous leaves. He knew it was probably Morgana who had put them there to infect the royal family. This must be why. She must have hoped that the incurable poison would have weakened them enough for her to easily take Camelot. The city would have been vulnerable with their leaders at death's door.

All of this had been for power. Everything that had happened was because someone was after the stupid crown. Gaia was dying for this. The thought made Merlin angry. Things didn't go well when Merlin got angry. He was about to take a step toward the witch but Arthur beet him to it.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"It doesn't matter now, either way it was inevitable that you would die today. The how doesn't make a difference." The grin returned to Morgana's face. "It seemed I underestimated Emrys. He was able to save you after all."

"Emrys?" Arthur was confused.

Merlin shifted uncomfortably beside him. He also felt guilty. He hadn't been the one to save Arthur this time. It had been Gaia and she was the one to pay the price.

"Yes, Emrys." Morgana elaborated. "Your protector. You mean to tell me that not even you know who he really is?"

Arthur's silence was her answer. She laughed. It was an evil cackle and sent a shiver up their spines. Even the sorceress standing between them hesitated for a moment but quickly regained her stance. Morgana's evil laugh was enough to make anyone uneasy.

"Well done Emrys." She called out loudly, knowing that the powerful warlock was listening. What she didn't know was that there was no need to raise her voice. He was closer then anyone realized.

It looked like Arthur was about to say something but they were interrupted when the doors to the throne room were opened again. More of the sorcerers packed into the room. They were followed by a few of the knights, which included all the Knights of the Round Table.

They all went and stood by their leaders, ready to give them support if need be. Arthur was grateful for the rise in numbers.

"The cavalry has arrived." Morgana laughed. "But the outcome of today will still be the same no matter what you do. You cannot win Arthur Pendragon."

"You watch me." Arthur growled. "I don't need magic to win." Uther was definitely proud of his son at that moment. Merlin, however, felt otherwise.

The ash had been ominous, the sign of death, but who had it come for? Merlin had only ever heard of ash falling when big battles were about to take place and loss of life was eminent. His guard was up. He didn't know what was going to happen but whatever it was it couldn't be good.

Morgana stood from the throne. "Is that a challenge?" She asked slyly.

"It is our fault that you are like this." Arthur finally admitted, catching Morgana by surprise. "So it is my job to stop you."

Merlin wanted to object. There was no way he could win this fight on his own no matter how much anyone wanted to believe he could. He was the Once and Future King but he was not invincible.

Morgana walked toward Arthur who had drawn his sword, but she was cut off when the hooded sorceress stood in her way. She grabbed the witch's arm, preventing her from taking another step toward the prince.

"Are you sure this is wise milady?" She cautioned.

There was something about her voice that struck a memory in Arthur's mind. Where had he heard that voice before? It made him raise his sword in front of his heart to protect it. Why?

"Of course I am sure." Morgana pulled away from the hooded one. "Don't question my decisions." She continued on her route toward Arthur and he went to meet her half way.

"Arthur!" Merlin tried to call him back but it was no use.

Everyone's attention was drawn towards the doors again when they opened and one last person strode into the room. She came with purpose.

She wore a deep forest green dress and a cloak of the same colour. The cloak was the same design as Morgana's and the hooded sorceress. The hood was up so her face was shrouded in darkness.

"Stop." She came until she was standing right next to Merlin. She was shorter then him, as most people were. The girl had an air of power and familiarity. The one dressed in lavender took a few steps forward.

"So many interruptions." Morgana moaned.

"This fight is between you and me." The girl beside Merlin spoke up. "Leave everyone else out of this."

"What are you talking about?" Morgana spat. "We have never met before."

"Hold your tongue Morgana." That shut her up. "I wasn't talking to you and you are wrong to think we have never met before."

"What?" Morgana asked incredulously.

"This was never your fight Morgana." The hooded one walked until she was standing beside but a little ahead of Morgana. "This final battle was not meant for you."

"It was meant for us." The girl in green removed her hood to reveal short brown hair and a scar that ran under her right eye.

"Gaia?" Sir Leon stepped forward to see if his eyes were deceiving him.

"Isn't that right Eris?" Gaia finished, ignoring the knight.

The hooded one removed her hood to reveal long wavy black hair that she had tied up into a ponytail. A strand of it had come loose and was hanging limply against the left side of her face.

Arthur gasped. It was her. The one they had met in the forest. Her appearance was not easy to forget. She was the sorceress, or witch, who had left him with only a warning. A warning that still lay fresh in his mind.

He looked to the one who stood next to Merlin. He never imagined. The first time he had seen her she had asked him if he wanted the usual for the banquet. It never even crossed his mind that she was so deeply involved in all of this. How would he have acted if he had known?

"Eris, what is the meaning of this?" Morgana spoke her disbelief.

"We have fought for years, always on different sides." Eris explained. "Each time we managed to get out alive. Now it is time for us to fight one more time."

"One last time." Gaia added. "Only one can leave this room alive."

The atmosphere in the room became darker at her words. Merlin stood there in shock. He had suspected that there was something different about her but he had never imagined this. Only this morning she had been smiling and laughing as if she were innocent but it seemed her true nature was very different. Or maybe that had been her and this was only another side. It was still hard to believe that they were one in the same.

"I challenge you Eris." Gaia removed something from her sleeve. "To a duel of magic."

She threw the handkerchief she had taken from her sleeve and it landed half way between her and Eris, slowly flouting to the ground. Eris' eyes widened for a moment but soon returned to the way they had been, unfazed. She moved as fast as lightning toward the small piece of cloth, scooping it up into her hand.

"I accept." She spoke darkly.

Before Gaia went to meet her she stood on her tiptoes and whispered into Merlin's ear so no one else could hear. "Keep your secret safe. It is not yet time to share."

Merlin's eyes widened. It had been her. Gaia was his shadow. It all made sense now. As he protected Arthur she protected him. She was like him in so many ways. No one had suspected her of magic because she was forced to hide it. She worked from the shadows to protect and make sure the future didn't change.

Merlin looked down at her and mouthed '_thank you'_, because that was all he was able to get in before she was gone.

The air in the room became cold as Gaia joined Eris in the center of the room. They stared daggers into each other's eyes for a long moment, making everyone else in the room anxious. Then they turned away from each other at the same time and walked a few steps before turning back.

They began to circle each other. Their right arms hung limply beside them and a sort of white powder poured from their sleeves. It trailed beside them and soon their lines overlapped and they had created a giant circle in the middle of the room.

Merlin had never seen this ritual before. He looked over to Gaius, who had somehow slipped in with the knights, and even he looked confused.

Then they stopped in unison. They spoke together a spell, their voices melding together. Something was off. This didn't seem like a duel of any kind any of them had seen.

Their eyes turned gold and stayed that way as they chanted. A look of realization spread across Morgana's face. She strode to the edge of the circle with her arms outstretched, prepared to begin her counter spell, but she never got the chance.

Eris and Gaia lunged together and each grabbed one of Morgana's arms, pulling her into the circle. Some of the other sorcerers ran forward to help their lady but they were unable to cross the boarder of the circle. A force was holding them back.

"What are you doing?" Morgana screeched.

They released her arms and she stumbled back. She tried to run out of the circle but it was keeping her in. She growled in frustration and looked back at her captures.

"I demand to know what this is." She was loosing her patience. "Why have you betrayed me Eris?"

"I would never betray Morgana." Eris spoke with confidence.

"What are you talking about? I am Morgana." She tried to convince them.

"And Morgana would never betray us." Gaia spoke this time.

Everyone in the room was now completely confused. What was going on? Why were they talking like that?

"I am Morgana Pendragon." She tried again.

"No, you're not." Eris stepped towards her. "And you haven't been for a very long time."

Morgana tried to speak again but suddenly Eris was standing in front of her. She moved so quickly that she tore the words from Morgana's mouth. She was speechless.

"I am so sorry Morgana." Before Morgana could step away, Eris pressed her palm to Morgana's forehead, grounding her there. She and Gaia chanted in unison again. Morgana froze, her body becoming rigid.

Suddenly her eyes turned black. The darkness rolled out of her eyes like smoke and accumulated in an empty part of the circle. The darkness swirled around trying to figure out what shape it would take.

Soon the whites of her eyes were visible again and the darkness was completely gone. The chanting stopped and Morgana collapsed. Gaia rushed forward and managed to catch her just before she cracked her head on the ground. She cradled her in her arms and looked up at the swirling smoke.

It had finally decided on a shape. The smoke took on the form of a woman. No one could tell what age she was or whether she was beautiful or ugly. She had long hair that floated around her head, but she was still black smoke.

The woman had her eyes closed. She stood there perfectly still. Everyone in the room was just waiting. They wanted her to move but they were afraid what they might see when she did.

Then she breathed a sigh and opened her eyes. They were pure white. No one could look into them for very long without starting to see black spots dancing across their vision.

Eris hissed between her teeth at the sight of the woman but didn't look away. She blinked and her eyes became black like Morgana's had been.

Gaia seethed and her eyes too became black like an endless pit.

"Hello mother."

**I'm sorry. I swear the next one is the last. I will stop messing with you guys.**

**On the other hand, thank you for reading and please REVIEW!**

**Another cliff hanger. What does it mean? Who is this strange lady?**

**Please send me your thoughts on what you think will happen.  
><strong>


	13. It began with five and ended with one

**Here is the actual final chapter. Sorry it took me longer then I expected.**

**I hope you enjoy reading it.**

It began with five and ended with one

Everyone in the room was silent. What had Gaia just said? Mother? Merlin's head was swirling with questions as he guessed most people were. Something dark was going on. Something that had started long ago was finally revealing itself.

The woman made up of black smoke smiled evilly. Merlin shuddered. There was something about her that made him want to curl up in a corner and hide. She had an air of darkness. This thing or woman was old, very old, and dangerous.

"Its been a long time since either of you called me that." Her voice was silky smooth and every word sent a vibration through the room, distorting everyone's vision.

"It's been a long time since either of us have seen you." Eris countered. "We would have liked to keep it that way."

"You mean that you didn't want to see your own dear mother?" The woman mocked.

"After the last time, no." Gaia tightened her grip around the unconscious Morgana.

"Oh it wasn't that bad." She cocked her head.

"You almost sent the world into the apocalypse ahead of schedule and you tried to kill us." Eris sneered.

"Wait, the apocalypse?" Arthur was the first to voice his questions.

"Oh keep your trousers on. It won't be in your life time." Eris waved him away.

"It will if I have anything to say about it." The lady grinned. "And it will start here, today. This world does not deserve to go on existing."

Fury came over Eris at those words. Faster then anyone could believe, Eris sped toward her mother, grabbing her by the fabric of her collar.

"Lachesis, don't." Gaia tried to calm her sister.

"Millions died because of you!" Eris, or Lachesis, yelled. "I won't let that happen again. You have been corrupted. You're mad."

"You may not have a choice." Her mother chuckled. "I gave up trying to bring order back to this world. Look around you. This place is the best example of how far this world has fallen. This kingdom will burn for its crimes and you Lachesis, you can still join me. Don't deny that you have considered it."

"No." Lachesis tried to deny. "I'm not like that anymore. I…"

"You've changed? As if." She was trying to worm her way into Lachesis' mind. "You have measured the life threads. Isn't it time they were cut. Especially Uther's."

She moved quickly until she was standing just behind her daughter. "Kill him." She whispered into her ear. "Or not and let him keep inflicting pain." Eris remained silent. "You haven't changed and neither has your sister. Have you, Clotho?"

She strides towards the girl kneeling on the floor with her old friend cradled in her arms but Lachesis steps between them. "You know it is not our place to cut their threads or have you forgotten so easily that my sister and I never did this alone. Do you forget that you gave three of us life? Where is Atropos?" Eris fumed.

"You thought you could hide from me." The mother cackled. "You knew this day would come. Not even those vessels you took could hide your stench. You brought this all on yourself and you brought those two girls into your problems as well."

"We asked them first and they accepted. Unlike you." Lachesis used Eris' lips to explained. "These two girls have willingly let us hide within their minds. They are strong. Stronger then you can ever hope to be."

"Liar!" The woman shrieked.

"You have only ever used force. Since you have turned your power has become nothing." Eris countered. "Look what you did to Morgana. This wasn't what she wanted. She was nothing like you before you corrupted her mind and took control."

"It seems you don't know people very well my child. She wanted power and I gave it to her. Funny her memories never mentioned you but you act as if you knew her." She grinned.

So that is why she didn't remember. Clotho looked down at Morgana's sleeping face with Gaia's eyes. She had been trying to protect them but how had she known. Neither Gaia nor Eris had ever told her that they were not the only ones inside their minds. Or whom they were hiding from. She stroked away a strand of Morgana's hair that had fallen over her face.

"She was our friend. She may have wanted power but not this kind of power. I knew Morgana. She was sweet and kind. It is your fault she is this way." Lachesis accused her mother.

"That is where you are wrong daughter. Uther is the reason I was able to corrupt her so easily. His hatred for her kind drove her into confusion so I took advantage." The woman turned toward the king. "Do you hear that Uther Pendragon? This is your doing."

"Your magic is what did this!" Uther yelled back, the sword still being held to his chest. "You are like all other sorcerers. Evil!"

The woman's grin widened. In the blink of an eye she was standing at the edge of the circle, her hands placed against a wall that no one else could see. Then she began to laugh. It was low at first but then it grew higher. Everyone else in the room was forced to put their hands over their ears to block out the monstrous noise.

"I never knew you were capable of giving a complement." She jeered. "But you are wrong. I am not like all other sorcerers because I am not a sorcerer at all. My children and I are much more then that. Do you really not recognize me king?"

"Should I?"

"I am hurt. We were so close after all." She continued to laugh; no one else understood what was so funny. "Well I didn't look like this back then though." She looks down at her swirling figure, straining to keep this form.

"Who were you?" Uther asked, curiosity overcoming him.

"Here is a clue. I took over that poor girls mind and then I killed your wife." She laughed even louder.

Uther's eyes widened and fury over took him. "Nimueh?" He growled out the question.

"Not quite. After all she had no control. But yes I guess that is what you called me. I tried to create order in that body but ended up creating chaos instead but then someone had to go releasing her from my control when they mercifully killed her." Her eyes swiveled through the crowd looking for the one. Merlin held his breath, trying not to draw her gaze.

"Who are you really?" Roderick's question got her attention before she could spot Merlin.

Uther took advantage of this distraction. He kicked Roderick hard in the chest, sending him flying. Uther picked up the sword he dropped. He pointed it menacingly at the young boy's heart. He pulled his arm back to strike.

"No!" Lachesis screamed.

Uther's blade never met its target. He looked up to see who had caught his arm. He gasped. "Arthur?"

"Don't father." He implored him. "Killing him won't do anything. It is time to stop."

"No, Arthur. Let him kill the boy." The woman pressed closer to the wall, trying to get inside the prince's head.

"Don't you see? This is what she wants. She wants this chaos. If you kill him you will only strengthen her control. Please father."

But Uther wasn't one to give up easily. He pulled his arm away from his son and charged the defenseless sorcerer. The woman watched with glee, her black forked tongue licking her lips. Uther was just about to plunge his sword down when Arthur tackled him from the side. He managed to knock the sword from his father's hands.

"What are you doing?" Uther growled.

"Stopping you from making a mistake." Arthur wrestled with Uther. "I'm sorry father." Then he knocked Uther unconscious, his body going limp.

"No!" The woman shrieked. "Just when it was getting to the best part. Arthur wouldn't it have been better to just kill your father? Daughters, I thought this was what you wanted. You wanted order between the magic and the mortals and yet you stand in my way. Uther must die to bring order."

"You are so selfish. And you wondered why we ran away all those times?" Clotho looked up at her mother who now looked at her with anger written all over her face.

"But you could never run for long." Her hair whipped around her head faster. "I will always find you."

"But we aren't running anymore." Lachesis went to stand by her sister. "It is our turn to become the predators."

"It's a shame you won't be able to run." Clotho placed Morgana gently down on the floor and stood. "I would have so loved the chase."

Fear took over the woman's features as she realized her predicament. She tried to step away but the circle prevented her. Seeing that she wouldn't be able to get away she raised her hands, ready to fight.

"You won't be able to beat me. The children cannot defeat their mother." She tried to sound confident.

"But the children have surpassed their mother. Or maybe we should call you by your real name, Themis. I don't think mother suits you anymore." Lachesis taunted, stepping forward.

So that was her real name. She deceived everyone for so long that she looked rather surprised to be called by her real name as if she expecting everyone to have forgotten by now.

Themis looked around once more in hopes of finding a way out but there was none. Then she saw Morgana, still out cold. She grinned and lunged. They would never hurt their precious Morgana.

Lachesis saw what she was planning to do. The darkness that occupied her eyes too lunged forward and the true form of the Lachesis was revealed. She looked similar to her mother but younger. Her hair was long and wavy. It swam around her head as she sprang forward to stop her mother, just managing to catch her arm before she got too close.

Her grip was tight around Themis' arm, unwilling to let her go any further. Themis struggled in her daughter's grasp but Lachesis did not back down for even a second. Clotho burst from her vessel to come to her sister's aid, latching onto her mother's other arm.

Eris and Gaia wobbled slightly at the sudden loss of the ones they had considered part of themselves for so long. For a moment they felt empty and weak, almost forcing them into unconsciousness like Morgana. But they stayed upright, fighting drowsiness. They watched as the daughters fought their mother.

They held her there as she writhed. Their dark swirling forms looked back at their vessels one last time. Their bright white eyes looked sad. Then they returned their blinding eyes to Themis.

"I have woven the threads of this world's lives. I have put my blood and sweat into making them who they are today. You will not destroy everything we have worked so hard for. Destiny won't allow it." Clotho raged, then she looked to her. "I'm sorry we caused you so much trouble."

"But you haven't." Gaia protested.

"You have been so good to us." The swirling form of Lachesis sighed. "But now it is time to say goodbye."

"Why do you have to go?" Eris asked.

"Goodbye." The sisters didn't elaborate as they moved their eyes back to their struggling mother.

"You have plagued this world long enough. Your time here is over." They spoke in unison, holding out one of their hands towards a spot in the floor. The floor cracked open to reveal a pit filled with swirling darkness.

"No!" Themis screeched. "You can't!"

"We do not belong in this world mother." Clotho said soothingly.

"It is time to go back to where we belong. We must return to our own realm." Lachesis explained.

Themis screamed and tried to run but her daughters dragged her toward the pit and she could do nothing about it. The sisters looked up one last time. "Thank you. May Athropos spare you." They mouthed to the friends who had protected them. Then they jumped, dragging the wailing Themis down with them.

Gaia and Eris rushed forward but it was too late. The crack in the floor closed. Gaia clawed at the disappearing crack, trying to open it again to pull her friends out but it was no use. They were gone. She slumped back in defeat.

Then Morgana gasped, sitting up. She looked around, taking in her surroundings. "Get out!" She yelled to the people in the room. "You all have to get out. This place is going to collapse. That was her plan. She wanted Camelot to fall, literally."

As if on cue the room shook. Pieces of the ceiling came tumbling down, just missing the room's occupants. Without the need to give orders everyone rushed to the doors. The knights directed people out and made sure no one was trampled or left behind. A few of them carried the sleeping body of Uther from the room.

The barrier that the circle had created disappeared. Gaia helped Morgana to her feet. Merlin and Arthur ran over. "Get her out of here." Gaia commanded, pushing Morgana towards her half brother.

"The castle is crumbling too quickly. We won't make it out in time." Eris noticed, her eyes wide.

A large cracking sound came from above them. The group looked up to see a large piece of the ceiling falling towards them at a deathly pace. Gaia stepped into the path of the shadow cast by the falling stone, stretching out her arms on either side of her. The stone stopped just inches from their heads. Sweat poured down her face. Her time was almost up.

Merlin was supporting Morgana who was still feeling weak. The group stared up at the large piece of ceiling in awe of Gaia's strangth, especially Merlin. He was the only one there who knew of her fate. He was surprised she was still able to stand but not for much longer. She was using the last of her power, the last of her time; to save the people she cared so much for.

"Go!" Gaia commanded.

"What about you?" Morgana asked, trying to steady herself.

"I will hold it back as long as I can. It should give you enough time to get out." Gaia panted.

"But Gaia you won't be able to get out." Eris realized what her friend was doing. "I will take your place."

"No." It came out harsher then Gaia had intended. "You have to get them out Eris."

"And leave you here?" Eris stepped forward toward Gaia. "Fat chance."

The castle shook around them.

"I'm not leaving you here alone. If I can't convince you to come then I guess I have no choice but to stay here with you." Eris stretched her arms out; her eyes flashed gold as she took some of the weight from Gaia's shoulders.

"Eris no." Gaia protested.

"You can't hold it on your own." Eris said with finality and Gaia understood that nothing she could say would change her friend's mind. Once Eris decided on something there was no chance that she would back down.

They looked to the three people staring at them.

"What are you waiting for? Get out of here." Eris yelled over the rumbling of the castle coming apart.

"Why?" Arthur had to ask. "Why are you doing this for us? You have magic. Shouldn't you despise us?"

"We never despised you Arthur. Clotho told me that you had a great destiny. You must live to fulfill it." Her eyes flickered to Merlin, but only for a moment. She was saying these things as much to him as she was to Arthur. Merlin nodded. He understood.

"It has been an honor to meet the Once and Future King." Eris bowed her head to Arthur. That was all she could do without letting go of the rock that would kill them all.

"The what?" Arthur didn't understand.

"You will understand one day. For today, all you must do is live." Gaia smiled weakly.

"Wait!" Morgana launched towards them, wrapping her arms around her friends one last time. "I have only just remembered you again. You saved my life. You can't go. There must be something I can do."

"Oh Morgana." Eris smiled down at her. "You have already done so much. You protected us from Themis and you gave us something worth fighting for."

"You can't leave me here alone." Morgana protested. "I will stay and help you." She tried to use her magic but one look from Eris made her hesitate.

"You are not alone Morgana." Gaia soothed. "I'm sorry my friend but you cannot stay here with us. Our time here is up but yours is just beginning. You must live for us Morgana."

"I don't understand." She wept.

"You are our legacy." Eris explained. "You keep us alive just by living yourself. You are the evidence that we existed. Just don't forget us again alright."

"I won't." Morgana nodded.

"You are the last of us." Gaia continued. "There once were five but now there is one. It was always meant to be this way. I'm glad it is you Gana. I'm glad you will be the one to carry on our legacy. Don't be afraid of what you are. Practice like we used to. Teach the way we taught you."

"I will." She hugged her friends tightly, not wanting to let them go but knowing that she had to.

Arthur pulled his sister away and towards the door. Merlin followed but looked back one last time. He looked at the girl he had run with. The girl he had laughed with.

"Don't ever stop running." Gaia called after him. "Keep going forward and don't look back. I wish I could have been there with you the whole way through but it seems our paths must part here. I won't be able to protect you anymore but I know you are strong enough to hold your own now."

"When I run I will think of you." Merlin called back. "I will take you with me the whole way. It doesn't end here."

"We will see you all again one day young Warlock." Eris grinned for the last time. Arthur and Morgana were out of ear shot for this conversation.

"I will be waiting." Then he ran out the door.

The friends looked to each other. They breathed deeply and let their magic spread through the castle. The rumbling stopped. Everything stood utterly still. They heard the footsteps of their friends running to safety.

"I'm glad you got my message." Gaia said.

"I can't believe you kept that old handkerchief." Eris looked down for a moment, not able to meet her friend's eyes. "For a moment I gave up. I really believed you had betrayed me."

"You should know better." Gaia smiled at her.

"We are both finally standing on the same side." Eris sighed. "I just wish this weren't our last battle."

"Not even Atropos can save us now. Our threads cannot be altered. Clotho couldn't have known. I wouldn't ask her to weave our lives any other way. Will you miss it?" Gaia asked. "The fight?"

"Yes. It made me feel alive. It made me feel wanted." Eris razed her eyes to look at Gaia.

"You were always wanted my friend. I will stand by your side beyond the end." They were loyal and nothing would ever be able to break that bond. Not even death.

Eris thought back to the conversation they had had in the woods a week before. Who thought, after that, that they would end up here?

Gaia shivered and her shoulders slumped slightly. "Our friends are safe." She announced. "I'm so glad." Then she fell, finally giving into the poison. Eris caught her before she could hit the ground.

The friends held each other in their last moments. They would never let go.

"Gaia?" Eris whispered, knowing that her friend was slowly fading away. She sensed the poison running through her small body and she knew that time was short.

"Yes?" Gaia strained to answer.

"We'll always be friends right?" Eris buried her head in Gaia's short hair.

"Always." Gaia spoke for the last time.

The last of their magic running through the castle disappeared and Camelot fell.

**Thank you for reading and please REVIEW!**

**Should I write an epilogue or just leave it like this?**

**Themis was one of the original Titans from Greek mythology. She had the power of Law and her name means Order. Some say she was the mother of the Fates: Clotho (she spun the thread of life), Lachesis (she measured the thread of life), and Atropos (she cut the thread of life).**

**Gaia's namesake is the mother of all Titans and who was also known as Mother Earth.  
><strong>

**Eris' namesake is the goddess of discord.  
><strong>

**I am hoping to bring a few of these characters back in another story that I will be writing.  
><strong>

**Thank you readernurse, Stellato, and nibby9 for reviewing.  
><strong>


	14. Eternal Sleep

**Here is the second part to my teaser of my up coming story called "Puppets".**

**Part 1: At the end of my story "Mercy".**

**Part 3: At the end of my story "Buried".**

**Part 4: The last part will be at the end of my story "I Will Never Forget".**

**Hope you enjoy.**

Eternal Sleep

Part 2

The old woman stood huddled in one of the corners of the obsidian room, her furs wrapped tightly around her. Carefully, she removed the dragonhead headdress and placed it gently on the floor to reveal her wiry gray hair. She turned around and looked at her reflection in the shiny stonewalls like a mirror. She had become paler in these last few days.

The crone heard the metal door swing open and closed behind her but did not turn to see the tall-scarred man standing just inside the door. He was silent, waiting for her permission to speak. She took her time. Reaching up with a bony finger, she ran it along her face. There was a small cracking sound. She hissed as a long crack appeared in her aged skin.

"I need more souls." Her voice was crackly. "If I am to keep on living I need more souls." She turned around to face the scarred man, not mercy written anywhere on her face.

"Milady, I have personally caught the two you requested. Those two young women if I am correct." His face gave away no emotion.

"Yes those are the ones." Her eyes narrowed. "There is something troubling you. Speak up."

"If I might say Milady. These two young women were very close with two of the Fates if I am not mistaken."

"That is correct." She looked him up and down, trying to guess where he was going with this.

"Atropos, the third sister, you have her here somewhere. Would it not be dangerous having them so close? She is unstable to begin with."

"There is no need to worry. They will not cause any problems." The old woman traced the crack in her face. "I need those souls."

"I understand."

"There are only a few more souls I need you to collect and then the fun can begin. I want this done as quickly as possible." She ordered. He turned to leave but before he was out the door she added. "Remember, you must not be seen. Not yet."

"Yes, Milady." He bowed and exited the room, leaving her alone once more.

She looked back to the wall, her face moved stiffly into a smirk. "There is no need to worry. I have a very special room made for them. They will not be able to interfere."

Another crack appeared running along her face. She screeched and scratched at the wall where her image was reflected, making four long scratch marks. She took a deep breath and straightened her back as much as she could, regaining her composer.

"It won't be long now." The crone waved her hand over the obsidian. The stone rippled and the face of a young girl in a bird's mask appeared. "You're next my dear." She licked her lips and waved her hand for the image to change.

Now she could see two coffins with glass lids where two young women slept, one with long wavy black hair and the other with short brown hair, a long scar running under one of her eyes.

"They will not be able to interfere. I will save you both for later." She sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes rolling back into her head.

She grinned a toothy grin. "Soon I will have my feast and I shall live forever."

**Thank you for reading and please REVIEW!**

**I hope you will read "Puppets" when it comes out.**


End file.
